AFP: Anti-LGBTQ disinformation surges online in East Africa. “Anti-LGBTQ bills in Kenya and Uganda have unleashed an unprecedented wave of online disinformation targeting the community, with experts accusing political leaders of spreading falsehoods that put lives at risk.”
CABI: New web app connects journalists and scientists. “A new web app has been launched to make it super easy for journalists in Kenya and Uganda to find researchers for science stories. The Script Connect app is part of the Script science communication programme by SciDev.Net, funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation. It works like a ‘speed-dating’ app, linking journalists to scientists in East Africa.”
NilePost: UPPC to digitize Uganda’s national archive. “The Uganda Publishing and Printing Corporation (UPPC) has said it is in the process of digitizing the vast amount of information and documents in our stores and will build a national archive.”
The Moorlander: Histories & Mysteries: 50 Years since Ugandan Asians came to Devon. “In August 1972, Uganda’s leader, Idi Amin, issued an order requiring Asians living in the country to leave within 90 days. This sparked a mass exodus of nearly 80,000 Ugandan Asians seeking refuge in countries all over the world. The first evacuation flight landed at London’s Stansted Airport on 18th September, 1972, and 50 years later, British Ugandan Asians have excelled in fields such as business, finance, politics, science, and the arts.”
Al Jazeera: How Uganda’s endangered mountain gorillas survived the pandemic. “Since Rafiki, no other gorillas have died amid a surge in poaching during the pandemic and since 2020, there have been at least 34 new births, according to Guma. Still, concerns about COVID-19 remain.”
Deutsche Welle: Ugandan author charged for criticizing President Museveni on social media. “Award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija is currently being detained while facing two counts of ‘offensive communication’ after making unflattering remarks about President Yoweri Museveni and his son on Twitter.”
BBC: Uganda schools reopen after almost two years of Covid closure. “Children in Uganda have expressed their joy at finally returning to school nearly two years after they were closed because of Covid…. But after one of the world’s longest school closures, authorities warned at least 30% of students may never return.”
CGTN Africa: Uganda eases COVID-19 restrictions including re-opening of schools and bars. “In a televised speech late on Friday, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni said pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools would be reopened on January 10. The East African nation had imposed some of Africa’s toughest restrictions. In September, some measures were eased, including allowing the resumption of education for universities and other post-secondary institutions.”
BBC: Covid in Uganda: The man whose children may never return to school. “Ten of Fred Ssegawa’s children may never go back to school again. Locked out of formal education since March 2020 by Uganda’s strict coronavirus containment measures, they have been caught up in one of the world’s longest school shutdowns. The two youngest of his 12 children were too little to have started in the first place.”
BBC: Uganda election: Internet restored but social media blocked. “Ugandans are celebrating the resumption of internet services after a shutdown was imposed ahead of last week’s election. However, social media platforms remain blocked and are only accessible using Virtual Private Networks (VPN).”
Reuters: Uganda bans social media ahead of presidential election. “Uganda banned social media and beefed up security in the capital on Tuesday, two days ahead of a presidential election pitting Yoweri Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, against opposition frontrunner Bobi Wine, a popular singer.”
Citizen Digital: Bloggers, social media users with huge following to be ‘monitored by the state’- Ugandan gov’t orders . “The Ugandan Communication Commission has asked social media users and bloggers with a large following to ‘register for monitoring by the state’. Those who fit the bill are required to have registered with the commission before October 5, 2020.”
BBC: Uganda – where security forces may be more deadly than coronavirus. “In Uganda, at least 12 people have allegedly been killed by security officers enforcing measures to restrict the spread of coronavirus, while no-one has been confirmed as dying from the virus itself. Patience Atuhaire has been meeting some of those affected by the violence.”
TechJaJa: How is Uganda’s Social Media Tax impacting Citizens Two years later?. “As of 23rd March 2020, Uganda has only confirmed one case of the novel coronavirus. The President of Uganda recently issued directives which saw all schools in Uganda closed effective March 20, all gatherings banned, the border’s closed, international flights banned, citizens urged to stay home and many others in order to curb the spread of the virus. But some of the measures for curbing this virus such as having people work remotely, students study at home and an increased reliance on digital transactions, are all hindered by Uganda’s social media and the mobile tax that was introduced in the country in July 2018. “
Tech dot Africa: Google Loon signs overflight agreement with the Ugandan Government. “The agreement was signed in Kampala with representatives from Loon and the Ugandan government. The overflight permissions in Africa are key as Loon works towards the provision of service in Kenya and beyond.”
The ResearchBuzz Firehose is regular RB content presented as individual posts.
For digest-type posts a couple of times a day, please visit ResearchBuzz.
Want to know how to best use the Firehose for content discovery?
Check out this handy article.