Hillary Innocent Sseguya, an International Relations student at Harvard University in August dragged President Museveni, the government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo and Uganda Police’s Chief Political Commissar, AIGP Asan Kasingye to the Civil Division of the High court for blocking him on Twitter.
He asked the court to declare the decision by the trio to block him from following them on twitter as illegal.
“I am only capable of getting information relating to my country’s governance and to communicate to the respective officials including the fountain of honor through their twitter handles but blocking me violates my constitutional rights,” Sseguya said.
Acting through his lawyer, Male Mabirizi, Sseguya filed the case at the High Court in Uganda, compelling court to issue orders to Museveni to unblock him from accessing his twitter handle.
“The respective actions of the government officials are illegal, procedurally improper, unreasonable, irrational and infringes on the applicant’s right to participate in the affairs of government and peaceful activities to influence the policies of government-guaranteed under Article 38 of the Constitution,” his plaint reads.
Now AIGP Asan Kasingye, has defended President Museveni’s decision to block him saying that Seguya’s application is misconceived, lacks merit and amounts to abuse of court process.
He states that he opened his twitter handle in April 2015 as a personal account for his private use.
“My account is for private/personal interest such as family, football, religion, sharing jokes and at times police-related matters but at a personal level like any other Ugandan citizen,” reads the affidavit in part.
Kasingye says his Twitter profile shows clearly that his views are not necessarily those of the Uganda Police Force and neither do they represent his official position in the force.
He says that Seguya can get information about Uganda or President Museveni through State House twitter handle and different media organisations, through their social media and websites, among other options.
He also says that the same information can be obtained from Media Centre via its official Twitter handle as well as its website.
“I have been advised by the Attorneys from the Attorney General’s Chambers whose advice I verily believe to be true that the twitter handles @KagutaMuseveni and @OfwonoOpondo are private twitter handles and not for the offices they hold,” the affidavit adds.
He asked the court to dismiss Seguya’s application arguing that he (Kasingye) enjoys the constitutional right to decide who to associate with on his private or personal account. Court is yet to start hearing the matter.
