By KT Reporter
A section of stakeholders from government and civil society organizations has jointly vowed to prosecute officials in public entities who decline to share information as required by law. This was during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) held in Kampala on October 7th, under the global theme “Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age.”
The dialogue brought together government officials, journalists, students, academics, and members of civil society to reflect on a central question: Is Uganda making meaningful progress in ensuring access to environmental information? Gilbert Sendugwa, the Executive Director of the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), noted that many Ugandan communities, facing the growing impacts of climate change, floods, deforestation, and environmental degradation, have little or no access to the information they need to understand, prevent, or respond to these challenges.
He further observed that several government institutions continue to ignore public information requests, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution, the Access to Information Act (2005), and other legal instruments. “We are going to hold public institutions accountable through litigation for not complying with the law. So, those entities that are not responding to requests or those who don’t respond in time, we put you on notice,” said Sendugwa.
Similarly, Joshua Akandwanaho, a Senior Information Technology Officer at the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U), supported the idea of holding noncompliant entities accountable. “We are trying to find an effective solution, especially for those Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that are adamant about responding to public requests. Kindly engage NITA so that we can also take them to courts of law and make sure they are responsive,” said Akandwanaho.
Marie Nanyanzi, the Senior Program Officer at Twaweza East Africa, urged both government and civil society actors to invest in the necessary infrastructure to enhance access to information across the country. “We need to invest in rural infrastructure so that we expand access to electricity, enabling people to power their devices, such as mobile phones, and easily access information,” Nanyanzi suggested.
In his remarks, Dr. Gerald Walulya, a Senior Lecturer at Makerere University’s Department of Journalism and Communication, noted that the concept of access to information is gradually taking root in Uganda, though much remains to be done. “We acknowledge that there are some men and women who have already laid the foundation on which we can build greater access to information.
Over the last five years, the Department of Journalism and Communication has been training a cadre of access-to-information champions who we hope will continue using this knowledge for the greater good of society,” he said. Dr. Walulya also commended the ongoing review of the Access to Information Act, saying the effort stems from the practical challenges and outdated provisions of the current law.
“Without operationalizing some of these provisions, you can never know that they don’t work. I think these efforts have brought us to where we are, but we need to encourage every citizen to exercise this right so that office bearers can take action,” he added. The International Day for Universal Access to Information is globally observed on 28th September, following a UNESCO declaration on 17th November 2015.
UNESCO provides a platform for all stakeholders to engage in international discussions on access to information in the digital era—empowering individuals, enabling informed decision-making, fostering innovation, and promoting inclusivity and social progress.
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