US-based Ugandan sues president for blocking him on Twitter

A student at the prestigious Harvard University in the United States says he has filed a petition with the High Court of Uganda over President Yoweri Museveni’s decision to block him on Twitter.

Hillary Innocent Taylor Seguya, a US-based Ugandan, arguing that this is an infringement of his constitutionally protected freedoms.

He also called for a ruling that would prevent two other senior officials from blocking him on the social network, namely government spokesman Ofwono Opondo and police officer Asan Kasingye.

Mr. Seguya, who claims that the President blocked him on 30 July, claims that this undermined his freedom of thought, conscience, and belief guaranteed by article 29 of the Ugandan Constitution.

Through his brother Hassan Mabirizi, Seguya contends that he was blocked after engaging the three governmental officials on several occasions, which didn’t go down well with them. Even though they have public profiles on social media, they should welcome public opinions.

In July, a US court ruled that US President Donald Trump was violating freedom of speech laws by blocking critics on Twitter.

Officials who use accounts on social networks were not allowed to silence those who disagreed with them, the judge said.