Examination of the right to information: a case study of Uganda
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Date
2018-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kampala international University, School of Law
Abstract
The right to information which is constitutional, the current legal regime of laws and the institutions established by the government of Uganda including access to information Act 2005 are not sufficient to facilitate the right to information.
The law neither obliges the government t to pro-actively disclose information nor does it provide the citizen activism in accessing such information. Therefore there is need for comparative review of the access to information legal frame work in Uganda with the aim of understanding the gaps and the lacuna that creates this inertial and the promulgation of a new legal regime that will go beyond merely giving citizen the right to access public information but obliging both the government and private sector players to provide pro-actively a certain type of information which is necessary for the public to participate not only in government but also allow them to enhance accountability and transparency. It should ensure while in the process of leadership there shall be selflessness objectivity, integrity, honesty, accountability and openness in leadership.
Following Uganda's history which is marked by authoritarian government with just traces of democracy that they were not answerable to any one and officials had to observe the confidentiality principals. The promulgation of the 1995 constitution of the republic of Uganda brought hope by recognizing the right of access to information guaranteed under article 41.
There is government effort to control information that enters public domain. This has continued amidst the recognition that during the earlier government before 1995 there was total strict adherence to the right to information. One of the reasons of attacking the legal regime has been null and void as it did not guarantee right to access information and limitation as to the kind of information to be accessed.
It creates limitation beyond those prescribed under the constitution. Under article 20 the fundamental human rights are inherent not guaranteed by the state. Those fundamental human rights are in the law of rights. Therefore the right of access to information is not guaranteed by the constitution, by access to information Act 2005 but inherent. From the above information, the author opines there is a gap in implementation and the legal regime.
Description
A Research Report Submitted the School of Law in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements of the Award of Diploma of Law at Kampala International University
Keywords
Right to information, Uganda