Be careful whom you chose to block on Twitter. A Harvard University student with Ugandan citizenship pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations has sued Uganda President Museveni for blocking him from his Twitter handle, together with Uganda spokesperson Ofwono Opondo and the police’s Chief Political Commissar, Mr. Asan Kasingye over the same matter.
Mr. Hillary Innocent Seguya Taylor accused the President, government spokesperson and the police’s chief political commissar of blocking him from accessing their respective Twitter handles which have been public platforms to disseminate information relating to the activities of their public offices in their official capacities and to get feedback from citizens, channels that has been keeping him abreast with what is happening home.
“That before being blocked, I used the same Twitter social media platform handles to communicate my views, dismays and suggestions to the respective officers. The effect of blocking me from the respective Twitter accounts is that I am now not capable of following and viewing the Tweets on their respective Twitter social media platform handles and hence not capable of contacting, replying, liking, tagging, retweeting and knowing the public information thereon or commenting on the same, ” he lamented.
According to Mr. Seguya, who claims that his Twitter handle, @HillaryTaylorVI, was locked from accessing the respective three without giving him notice, this decision by the government officials is illegal, improper and irrational because the said Twitter accounts are used in the public domain to communicate and receive feedback from citizens. He has filed a lawsuit with the High Court in Kampala seeking compensation for inconveniences caused.
