Government breaks promise on information bill

New strategies of advocacy and lobbying have been devised to make Government live up to her promise of presenting to Parliament the draft bill on access to information.

Already the first promise of presenting to cabinet the principles of the same bill by December 2003, was not met. The Minister of State for Information in the Office of the President, Hon. Dr. Nsaba Buturo, had during a Parliamentary session committed Government to the above dates. His ministry is responsible for the bill.

Concerned civil society organisations spearheaded by Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU) and Network of Professional Organisations formed an adhoc pressure group with three Parliamentary caucuses to lobby for participation in the formative stages of the bill.

The pressure group is called Coalition on Freedom of Information (COFI).COFI is set to hire a consultant to lead to sharpen the strategy of lobbying.

Available information from one parliamentary causes which also proposes to move the private members bill, indicates that up till now, the Minister of Information has not even appointed a committee to work on the bill. According to the vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary and Legal Affairs Committee, Hon. Abdu Katuntu, who spearheads the private members bill, a meeting is being sought with the responsible Minister to take him to task over the actual status of the access to information bill. ACCU and its partners believe that a law on access to information is vital for the fight against corruption. COFI continues relentlessly to lobby for that law. The efforts are being supported by Danida.