Kampala high court has ordered Uganda’s four telecommunication companies to defend themselves in a SIM-card registration case that was filed in February this year.
This case was filed by Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJUg) and Legal Brains Trust Ltd against the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the Attorney General over said illegalities, irregularities and anomalies characterizing the exercise.
This matter was coming for hearing for the first time since it was filed and in his ruling to an application by the duo, the presiding judge, Justice Yasin Nyanzi ordered,
“That MTN (U) Ltd, Airtel Uganda Ltd/ Warid Telecom (U) Ltd, Uganda Telecom Ltd and Orange (U) Ltd or by whatever name called are hereby joined as parties to the present proceedings. Let the applicant formerly amend the pleadings and serve the said telecommunications service providers in seven days from today.”
The duo through their lawyers Mugabi Silas Kahima, Dennis Sembuya and Isaac Kimaze argued that the said companies had to be joined in the proceedings due to the nature of the case and given their statutory duty of registering SIM-card subscribers under Section 9 (2) of the Interceptions of Communications Act.
Justice Nyanzi told the telecom companies to reply to the amended pleadings within 15 days from the date of service.
The case was fixed for 08th/October 2013 when the five telecom companies are expected to appear.
