The Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court has charged and remanded a National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) official, over unlawful disclosure and processing of personal data.
Grade one magistrate Asuman Muhumuza remanded Douglas Kaaya after he pleaded not guilty, to the charges of illegally disclosing citizens’ personal data to facilitate a suspected human trafficking network targeting young Ugandan women for exploitation in Dubai.
Prosecution told court that on December 4, 2024, while serving as a registration assistant at NIRA offices in Makindye, Kaaya unlawfully accessed and processed National Identification card information before sharing it with individuals linked to a human trafficking syndicate.
Kaaya who faces two counts of unlawful disclosure and processing of personal data contrary to the Data Protection and Privacy Act, Cap. 97, denied the charges.
The case stems from a recent BBC documentary that exposed the ordeal of Ugandan women allegedly lured to Dubai with promises of employment, only to end up trapped in prostitution and exploitative labour conditions.
However, Magistrate Muhumuza remanded Kaaya until May 18th, after he failed to present his personal National ID and an LC 1 chairperson’s introductory letter before court.
Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 regulates the collection and processing of personal information. However, cases of data breaches persist, largely attributed to rapid digitalization, weak enforcement and low public awareness.
