| Uganda: Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Public Access to Information | ||
| Indicators | Score | |
| 12 | Do citizens have a legal right of access to information? | 100 |
| 13 | Is the right of access to information effective? | 50 |
Indicator and sub-Indicator Details
| 12 | Do citizens have a legal right of access to information? | |||||||
| 12a: In law, citizens have a right of access to government information and basic government records. | ||||||||
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Comments: All government information is pubic, save for specific confidential reports, or security information. The law is clear on this. References: Article 41, 1995 Constitution of Uganda. Public Information Act, 2005.
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| 12b: In law, citizens have a right of appeal if access to a basic government record is denied. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Section 38, Access to Information Act, 2005.
Peer Review Comments: Section 37 of the Access to Information Act 2005 states that a person may lodge a complaint with the chief magistrate because of a decision by an information officer that resulted in information being denied.
Peer Review Comments: Despite the law on access to information, information in Uganda is hard to access. The public service oath is one of the tools applied to public servants to not disclose information, but even still, government officials rarely bear out any information. Most information is hidden from the public.
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| 12c: In law, there is an established institutional mechanism through which citizens can request government records. | ||||||||
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Comments: Access to government information can be found in government libraries located within government institutions. However, for those reports that are not found in the libraries, authorization is needed from the person who heads the institution. References: Information Act, 2005.
Peer Review Comments: Government officials are very unwilling to give some information, for instance any related to public funds and will obstruct attempts to give it by saying, for example, that the officials with the information are not available.
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| 13 | Is the right of access to information effective? | |||||||
| 13a: In practice, citizens receive responses to access to information requests within a reasonable time period. | ||||||||
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Comments: Information requests are not responded to in time, sometimes due to administrative delays. Some of the information needs to cleared by the head offices or sometimes the bureaucracy is overwhelmed by work and cannot respond in time. There is no specific time range. Sometimes, it depends on how busy the person in charge of giving authority to access the information is. It also depends how well applicants are prepared. They first need a letter of introduction. If they want to do research, then they need a research permit from the National Council for Science and Technology. References: New Vision and Monitor newspapers (Jan.-Aug. 2008).
Peer Review Comments: The time for receiving responses for accessing information is reasonable, although there are some administrative and bureaucracy delays by some officers.
Peer Review Comments: Red tape can make it very difficult to get some information, except for those who are most persistent.
Peer Review Comments: Information is mostly delayed.
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| 13b: In practice, citizens can use the access to information mechanism at a reasonable cost. | ||||||||
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Comments: It all depends on the information you are trying to access. Some of the information is costly, yet some of it is not. You have to pay photocopying costs, and these costs vary depending on the volume of the information you need. References: New Vision, Weekly Observer and Monitor newspapers (Jan.-Aug. 2008).
Peer Review Comments: Costs depend on the amount of information needed. For instance, one has to incur costs for printing and copying so if a large amount of information is needed, costs may be very high; conversely, if little information is needed, costs will be lower.
Peer Review Comments: Actually, there is an expense to be met.
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| 13c: In practice, citizens can resolve appeals to access to information requests within a reasonable time period. | ||||||||
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Comments: How long it takes to get information again also depends on how sensitive the information is. Sensitive information that is security related takes a long time and sometimes you never get it. However, to get authorization to access parliamentary records takes only minutes. References: Interview with official at the National Council for Science and Technology (Sept. 8, 2008).
Peer Review Comments: Resolving appeals to obtain information depends on the sensitivity of the information and who has it. Sensitive information takes a long time and it requires a lot of sanctioning. Records at Parliament take a very short time to access.
Peer Review Comments: There is nothing like reasonable time when it comes to accessing information in Uganda. You either bribe to get it, if it is vital information, or you must know someone within the system to get it for you. If you appeal, most times you wind up giving up rather than getting the information.
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| 13d: In practice, citizens can resolve appeals to information requests at a reasonable cost. | ||||||||
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Comments: Different government institutions have different costs. For example, to access electoral commission vote registers, it costs10 million shillings (US$5,263). References: [ LINK ].
Peer Review Comments: Sometimes the pay is more.
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| 13e: In practice, the government gives reasons for denying an information request. | ||||||||
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Comments: Sometime the government gives a reason for denying information but this is not a routine procedure. Sometimes the reason is not given, for example if the information is security related or they simply want to keep it secret. References: Interview with journalist, New Vision (Sept. 8, 2008).
Peer Review Comments: Reasons are given, but not always, as would be the case if giving out information could undermine security in areas of conflict.
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