The Uganda national resistance party members of parliament have agreed to pass a law making phone tapping and interception postal mail legal in Uganda. This was today reported in the local media. The reason the government has advanced has always been that with such a law in place, government security agencies would be more in position to contribute better to fighting terrorism both within and outside the country. Known or suspected addresses of terrorists and traitors, both mail and phone would be intercepted without a need for a warranty from police or fear of human rights infringement. If this is signed into law by the president, it will be in direct violation of Article 12 of the 1943 Universal Declaration of Human rights, Article 17 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political rights and Article 8 of the 1950 Convention for the protection of Human Rights and fundamental Freedoms

With African leaders after spending decades in power and less willing to leave power, such a law is certainly likely to be abused to crack down on the opposition and everybody who may not be in favour with the ruling government with less of what it is to actually achieve.

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