Tomorrow | Written & Illustrated by Nadine Kaadan

Nadine Kaadan paints a story that is unlike many children’s stories. She explores a topic that would be hard to broach with children. She condenses the idea of war and it’s effects into a language children can understand and process.

Set in Syria, the story gives the reader a glimpse into the confusion and desperation in a child, that comes about as an effect of war. We are eerily introduced to Yazan who is in a state of confusion because of all the change that is happening around him. Parts of his everyday routine like going to the park and visiting friends are all thrown off. Even his mother’s mood seems to have changed as she doesn’t seem to want to paint anymore and his father is always tense.

One of the reasons this is a great story is because it humanises children that are often portrayed as other by the media. Children in Syria are seen as suffering or sullen and quiet. This book shows them as regular kids. Young Yazan enjoys riding his bike, making paper planes and visiting the park. He too gets frustrated with life sometimes and acts out just like a regular child would. The book serves as connection between a child living in Africa and one living in Syria.

For children that may have never known war, like many here in Kampala, the book also opens the door for conversation concerning a reality outside their own. You begin to expand their world views and show them that their way of life is not the only way. Emotions like empathy and even a hunger for societal change can be birthed through this opening of minds. It can also be a way to help a child understand privilege and why they should be grateful for all they have.

The themes which echo through the gloomy and dark palette used in the illustrations sets the tone for how the reader is expected to feel; trapped. While it is seemingly difficult to read, it tells a tale that is very necessary in today’s political climate. It gives us an insight into the experiences of the voices that are often times silenced during times of unrest while also, in a gentle way, preserving the innocence of its intended audience. It’s definitely a necessary read.

This book is most suitable for children aged 7-9 in particular because of the subject matter. Explaining the intricacies of the book to a child younger than 7 might prove a little difficult. This book is readily available at our children’s library.

Looking to expose your child to more impactful literature? Contact us to join our children’s mobile library on 0705711442/0788310999.

 

Volunteer Faves | The Fireplace: Tot Tales 2018

We had such an amazing 2018 at our children’s book club, The Fireplace: Tot Tales! We explored all kinds of countries and cultures, went deep into the recesses of our imagination, got to know more about our country Uganda, and lots more. We asked some of our volunteers who assist us as readers, which of the tales from 2018 they liked the most and here is what they had to say.

Teta | Bugolobi Chapter

My favourite title from was Tales from Old Ireland. I like that it’s a story that symbolises unity. A lot of the tales we read from the book kept ringing a bell because we have the similar folk stories to the ones we have here. I particularly liked the story about the swans that were cursed by their evil step mother, and she was later cursed by their father for eternity. The children understood that parents would do anything to protect them. They learned that love wins; the swans survived whatever came their way because they stuck together. Interestingly in the end, the swans died. The kids though, seemed undisturbed by that. I think it had something to do with the fact that the birds died after their their wishes had come true.

Jessica | Muyenga Chapter

What an experience! The book itself was quite the read, with Roald Dahl doing what he does best…entertaining children and yet inspiring them to learn to read. To say the time was not enough is an understatement. We spent a lot of time enjoying the different twists and turns in the story, analysing the characters and literally getting lost in their world. The kids enjoyed it. The reader enjoyed it. We all enjoyed it and could not wait to share what we had learnt for the story. It was awesome!!!

So Severe | Ntinda Chapter

As someone that volunteers as mostly a minder and an evaluator, I don’t know whether I have a favourite book per say. However, Puss in Boots seemed to be one of the tales the children enjoyed. It was about a clever talking cat, that was left to a farm boy. The shifty cat charmed and tricked his way through the entire story, until the boy owned a large farm, a castle that belonged to an ogre and eventually got married to a princess. The children were really into the tale and it’s gentle progression. They all wanted to see how it turned out into the obvious happily ever after. That is, while the kids sort of expected a happy turn out in the end, the progression of the story at different points made it not-so-certain, for them which was exciting.

Susan Emma | Muyenga Chapter

My favourite book by far was The Girl with a Brave Heart by Rita Jahanforuz. The story book was about an orphaned young girl living with her stepmother and stepsister, after the death of her father. She was deprived of some benefits like education so stayed home and cleaned and cleaned. This story teaches how to develop a positive attitude towards work and have humility in all situations. Despite all the hardships that this little girl went through, she still had a kind heart and was always willing to help. Because she had a kind heart and a beautiful character, she was blessed. I like this story because it speaks to me as well, not just the little children. Kindness, humility, hard work and caring for others are key in making the world a better place.

Kato | Muyenga Chapter

The book I loved the most was Laugh Out Loud by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. It was about a little boy that started his own publishing company because of the lack of exciting children’s books in his town. The book looked at all the aspects of publishing and made it palatable for a child 10 years and older. The activity we did required the class to write down plans for the kind of companies they would create. One of the children, after that Tot Tales session, went home and continued to write his own book.

Louise | Muyenga Chapter

The story that I enjoyed most was All Aboard for the Bobo Road by Stephen Davies. It was an adventurous story that the illustrations depicted  so well! They were so colourfully African.  It made the kids excited about travelling and showed them how important it is to appreciate our environment. It was the same for me. The fact that it had children involved made the kids identify with the story. It was such a lively session! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We are beyond excited for the adventures 2019 has in store for us. The Fireplace: Tot Tales will be resuming in February. Keep your eyes peeled for all the details!

Are you looking for some way to give back in 2019? Do you enjoy books and spending time with children? Join our Tribe!

 

A Book, A Library & A Word Game

2018 has been a year of growth for Sooo Many Stories. Having started with just one chapter of our children’s book club, The Fireplace: Tot Tales in 2016, we expanded to add two more chapters in Muyenga and Bugolobi in 2018. Our expansion highlighted the need for not only access to a variety of literature but also, the need to focus on creating literature for the Ugandan child. Literature in which Ugandan children can see themselves and have characters to call their own.

We are proud to announce Immaculate Innocent Acan as our first signed children’s author. Acan is the recipient of the 2016 Writivism Short Story prize. She has also been published by Omenana Magazine, AFREADA Magazine, Brittle Paper and in Selves: An Afro anthology of Creative Non-fiction. Her children’s book, follows three friends on a colourful journey all over Uganda as they look for three ingredients to help them create something extra special.

Besides our monthly children’s book clubs, we now have yet another way to fulfill our mission to nurture a generation of readers, thinkers and innovators. We opened our first children’s library at our office in Bugolobi. It’s a dream that has been a long time in the works and we are really excited to finally open our doors. We have over 200 titles so far for children aged 0-14 years. We strongly believe in diverse representation in books, and made sure that the children in many of the titles look like the average Ugandan child. We sought out books that act not just as windows, but as mirrors too, that reflect our children’s own lives and experiences. Opening this library is a dream come true. We cannot wait to change children’s lives with these books.

We are also excited to announce a word guessing game, Otyo! Suitable for ages 8 and up, it is perfect for rainy weekends in, parties, road trips and get-togethers. Otyo! is great for vocabulary building, teaching description, thinking fast on your feet, bonding and fun!

Contact us on 0705711442 or 0788310999 for Otyo! and library membership for children aged 0 to 14. 

Children’s Books Revisited | Staff Edition

Readers often first discover the magic of books at a tender age. Here, the SmsUg team shares books that they would re-visit as adults and why it’s these titles in particular that gripped them.
Nyana Kakoma | Publishing Director
I’d revisit the Nile English Course, which I last saw when I was in primary school. There was a different one for each level but the image that stuck to my memory is the one with a blue cover.  I loved that it had several short stories so I had enough to choose from. I would definitely love to re-read Ichuli’s adventures with other animals.
Carol Kagezi | Editorial Assistant
This is a hard one. I am torn between the Nancy Drew series and Famous Five. Both defined my sense of curiosity. If anything, in a lot of ways they shaped how I view the world. I have always believed that the world is an oyster for me to play in because of how tangible the stories seemed. They didn’t seem outlandish; the children lived simple lives and experienced simple joys. They had an adventuring spirit and a sense of independence. This, I believe, is what it means to live.
Dushiime Kaguliro | Reading Nurturer

I would like to revisit the Harry Potter series and feel the excitement it brought me through my childhood as I anxiously waited for a latest book to come out. Harry Potter was the basis of my love for fiction and made me love the way books can transport you to a whole new world.

Revisiting Harry potter would be like having a reunion with old friends; going back to those Hogwarts walls and reliving all the adventure in each book, going through the grief of watching Harry lose Sirius and the epic battle in the last book (The Deathly Hallows). It would be amazing to go back as an adult and see if the magic and mystery in the book would blow me away as it did the first time and if Fred and George would still be as hilarious to me now as they were when I was a child.
Esther Nshakira | Online Storyteller
When I was about 10, I was in love with the American Girl series. My favourites were Addy and Molly because they both had aspects I could relate to. My father though found my love for the series quite problematic. He was woke before woke was a term, encouraging me to try and find stories that validated my identity as an African and even further, as a Ugandan. Now I’m that older (and wiser, I like to think) I obviously share the same sentiments. So I’d revisit the entire American Girl series if only as research to establish (or at least think about establishing) an African Girl series with African girl stories that another 10-year-old Esther, here within the African continent can relate to. Another obvious revisit would be Nancy Drew. Those plot twists and heart-stopping chapter ends would still get me!
What book from your childhood would you revisit as an adult? Share with us in the comments below!

How to Build Your Own Country | Written by Valarie Wyatt & Illustrated by Fred Rix

How to Build Your Own Country is a humorous book that teaches children about politics and governance in language that they can easily understand. It is written as a step-by-step manual on how to literally build a country. It gives children a few facts from real life countries and states, and helps them understand the intricacies of governance.

The children learn how to build their country in three different steps. The first is ‘Stake your identity’, where the children learn about things ranging from naming countries, finding a population, designing a flag, a motto and writing a national anthem. ‘Running a country’ is the second where they learn about setting up governments, elections, making money and holidays. The third is ‘Meet the neighbours’, where they learn about keeping peace and joining clubs like the UN.

The book has sections for the children to fill in as they read along, creating their own make-believe country. They pick a name, flag, motto and national anthem (in the tune of old Mac’ Donald had a farm). The book explores stories of bad leaders, fake laws, issues on taxation and generally all the work it takes to run a country. It is such a useful teaching tool when educating children about the important aspects of their country. Issues like democracy and fair governance are well explained and highlighted as important, with in-depth examples of real life countries.

The book has great examples of micro nations, which encourage the children to believe that they too can be leaders and rule their own micro nations. It also enables them to understand what is happening in the world, as they can put things they hear about in context. It is a great starter pack for equipping children with knowledge on governance and running a country.

It’s a great read because it is light and funny but still informative and educative. It breaks down what can be an intimidating topic for both parents and children and allows children to understand it in a practical and relatable way.

This book is suitable for older, more experienced readers from 8 to 13.

Have you heard of our children’s mobile library?

 

Sleep Well, Siba and Saba | Written by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl & Illustrated by Sandra Van Doorn

Sleep well, Siba and Saba is a powerful children’s book that tells a story of the power of dreams, the future and Uganda.

Sisters, Siba and Saba are always losing things and constantly forgetting where they put them. But once their father puts them to bed by saying, “Sula bulungi Siba and Saba”, they dream of all the places they left their lost items. In the Savannah watching an impala pass or on the sun-lit Sipi Falls watching a sun-bird fly away. But one day this changes and they begin to dream of things in the future and not in the the past.

The story is a great celebration of the sights and sounds of Uganda and a great showcase of our rich country. It is a very relatable read for any child growing up in Africa as they can see the things they grow up surrounded by like taxis and markets. Even the one’s they may not know, like the Sipi Falls and the Crested Crane are great teaching opportunities.

The sisters are put to bed by their father which is something rarely seen in African books as the father is more commonly portrayed as being a provider and disciplinarian for the children. It is a great image to see and show children a soft and nurturing father.

The story brings out the idea of dreaming about the future and moving on from the past. We see the sisters begin to let go of the remorse about their failure to keep their belongings and dream of bigger and greater things, encouraging children to dream about the future and to dream big.

Because the book is written in short rhyming sentences, it easy for young beginner readers. It is great for read-out-loud sessions as it is filled with beautiful and bright pictures. The pictures showcase various things about Ugandan Heritage and are a great teaching point, helping the children learn new things about the country.

This is a beautiful tale reminding us why stories that children can easily see themselves in are very important and should continue to be told.

This book is suitable for readers aged four to eight.

Looking for a place your child can enjoy more stories like this? Our children’s mobile library is it! Call us on 0705711442 or 0788310999 for more information.

 

The Wooden Camel | Written by Wanuri Kahiu & Illustrated by Manuela Adreani

The Wooden Camel is a story set in Turkana, Kenya about a little boy, Etabo, completely obsessed with riding camels. His family owns a few, but before he is big enough to ride, his father sells them in order to afford water for the family. Etabo prays and is assured that his dreams are enough.

With no camel to ride, Etabo and his older brother Lopeyok and sister, Akiru are tasked with herding the family’s goats. It is a mundane task but they have each other and the stubborn goat, Keti, for company. The price of water keeps rising however and his siblings have to go and find work. He gets lonely and wishes more than ever he could ride a camel. Because he can’t, he begins to settle for anything in sight. He tries to ride goats and chicken and even Keti the goat. His sister sees his despair and whittles him a herd of camel made of wood. Excited, he goes to play with the camel herd in the sand, and they seemingly come to life and he is able to ride! That night he thanks his sister for her kind gift and remembers Akuj’s words – his dreams ARE enough!

One of the most beautiful things about this story is the relationship between siblings. Akiru and Etabo especially are great examples of the love that should exist between an older and younger sibling. For children that sometimes find it hard to tolerate their younger siblings, it’s a great story.

This story also helps children see a life that is probably different from their own. That Etabo’s family is struggling to buy water might not be something they can relate to, but is important for them to understand nevertheless. They are able to appreciate all that they have a lot more and see that even with little, it is possible to be happy and content.

Like all books, the story also encourages the power of imagination. Etabo’s family might not have been able to afford camel anymore but through imagination, and a little love from his sister, he was able to ride.

This book is great for four to six year olds as it is filled with illustrations and words easy enough to understand. It is also written in present tense so the children are able to follow the story like it is happening in real time, which makes for more engaging content.

 Would you like your child to be a part of our children’s library? Reach us on 0705711442 or 0788310999 for more information.

#BooksAndBeats | Esther Nshakira

I love music! And I love books. I have seen someone match their photos with family and friends with songs (Hi Belinda!). I thought it would be interesting to apply the same to books. So without further ado, in no particular order, here are a couple of songs and books I think go together.

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin & Johnny by Yemi Alade

If you have read this book and listened to this song I think the connection speaks for itself. First off, the drama. Naija sponsored! The character development in both is brilliant. Each of Baba Segi’s wives had my heart for different reasons, and when watching the Johnny video you cannot help but root for Yemi! I really wanted her to find and beat Johnny. Still on character development, the host of the TV show, ‘We Don Catcham’ in the Johnny video was amazing. This man needs a segment in real life! Another connector between the two is they are both about this one man whom all these women’s lives revolve around. Baba Segi and Iya Segi, Iya Femi, Iya Tope and Bolanle and then Johnny and Yemi, Cynthia, Uche, Nene and God knows how many others. All these women’s lives are turned upside down because of this man and yet despite all the trouble, they stay roped in. In Yemi’s song, Johnny stays ‘her Johnny’ even after she lists all his sins! Anyway, Baba Segi is forced to deal with his secret in the end and Johnny is served mob justice so…we’re okay. Baba Segi’s Wives is actually one of my favourite books by a woman. Check out why, here.

Book Thief by Markus Zukas & Seasons of Love from Rent

This is one of my favourite books of all time. Set in World War II, it tells the story of an orphan girl taken in by a German couple after she loses her mother and younger brother. She falls in love with reading at a time when it is very dangerous to. Her foster father encourages her passion and she continues to grow in her love and knowledge of written word and it carries a firm message of love and hope throughout the book. The song that I think goes perfectly with this book, is Seasons of Love from Rent the movie. The question in the song is how do you measure the life of a man? And I think one of easiest and most beautiful ways to do that is through the written word. Through stories. If you tell your story on a page, it lives on so much longer than you do.

Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes & Work Out by Chance The Rapper

This was the first Marian Keyes novel I ever read. I remember I picked it up before a long plane ride back home and I had random strangers really concerned because I kept laughing out loud. It was one of the funniest books I had ever read. I read about six more of her titles right after. This one is about Anna and her wacky family in Ireland, but more importantly, the life that she has built for herself back in New York. She heads back and finds that things aren’t quite as she left them and as she comes to terms with some truths, we are taken along for the ride. The perfect song for this one is a new fave by a fave of mine, Work Out. It’s perfect because in it Chance The Rapper, talks about different not-so-perfect situations that end up ‘working out’. And that is what most Marian Keyes novels are about. Messy women living messy lives with everything working out in the end. Also, both are just really feel-good. They are what I always want to use to describe my mood.

Patchwork by Ellen Banda Aaku & Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

Books about mother-daughter relationships are up there for me. I read them with my heart full of so many emotions, and Patchwork was no exception. We review the book over on our #MEiREAD channel here, so I won’t get too much into it, but to summarise, it is about the life of Pumpkin, a little girl in Zambia born to the alcoholic mistress of the affluent businessman Joseph Savavungo. We see the effect of blended families on all concerned in every aspect. This book is a reminder that happily ever after is a thing of fairy tales. In real life, even if things start off beautifully, there are always curves in the road. Which is the story in Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. Here is a girl convinced that she has found forever with this guy but that changes quickly after they run away together and start a family, and when it does she is ready to get into the next fast car and drive off. Pumpkin, as she grows older, is also quick to do that. She is engaged three different times before she marries her husband Tembo.

Flame and Song by Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa & All We Got by Chance the Rapper, Kanye West & Chicago Children’s Choir

 A beautiful book if there was one. This is a memoir, documenting the life of a young girl and her family during the time of Idi Amin. Unlike many books of that time, this one highlights life being lived with war as the backdrop. As Philippa narrates stories of first days at school and living-room concerts with her cousins, the whispers of ‘Bamutute’ and the hurried manner in which many characters leave, you are reminded that this was in fact war. Philippa’s solace throughout the book though was music. She sang all through her childhood joining the school choir in all the high schools she joined. Philippa still loves music. And a good thing too, because Chance said it right – music is all we got! All we got is also a bit of a story that like Flame and Song describes growth and change all while hoping and finding that hope in music.

What are your thoughts? Am I way off?

What song matches a book you know?

SmsUg x FEMRITE Bloggers’ Workshop | A Photo Essay

During the FEMRITE Literary Week of Activities which took place a few weeks ago, The SmsUg team had the privilege of facilitating the Bloggers’ Workshop. Because Sooo Many Stories began as a blog, there is a wealth of knowledge we as a team have been able to amass on the topic. It was a one-day workshop in which we explored nearly all facets of blogging; branding, content creation, platform selection, website set-up…there was a lot to go through! It was wonderful to see bloggers interacting and sharing experiences and learning from each other and from us. Here are a few photos documenting our experience.

Some of the attendees at the Bloggers Workshop.
Nyana Kakoma on Blogging Basics; blog name, topic, audience profile, unique selling points e.t.c
Here to learn! Attendees taking notes and doing exercises.
Guest, Ella of Brands Made To Last, on creativity and its impact on humanity and human behaviour.
Carol Kagezi on communication platforms: blogs, vlogs, digital magazines and podcasts
Hilda Twongyeirwe, FEMRITE Executive Director and workshop attendee.
Peter Kakoma, Software Engineer and WordPress expert on the technicalities of setting up a WordPress blog.
From theory, to practice.
Esi Nshakira on scheduling, blog management and social media for your blog.
Ladies and gentlemen, we give you…bloggers.
The Sooo Many Stories Tribe that facilitated

Thank you so much for this opportunity FEMRITE! We cannot wait to see all these amazing bloggers step out and shine. Looking forward to many more teaching experiences!

Copyright, The Creative & Online Content | Esther Nshakira

A few weeks ago, the Sooo Many Stories team attended a copyright workshop hosted by KTA Advocates, a law firm that specialises in Intellectual Property (IP) law. It contributed to the very necessary conversation in the creative space on the ways in which creatives can protect their work and ensure that they are not exploited. The one day conference covered various areas such as the necessity and process of registering copyright and the work of associations that help with copyright law enforcement such as Uganda Reproduction Rights Organization (URRO) and Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS). Briefly covered during the conference was the protection of online content using copyright law. I met with Kenneth Muhangi – a partner with KTA Advocates and an expert on media law especially in regards to IP – afterwards and went into detail about the ways in which the copyright law here in Uganda expands to cover content published online. Here are some highlights from our conversation.

A copyright is a form of protection provided by the law to authors of original works of authorship.

Copyright is inherent. Once you reduce something into a form of creation (writing, photograph, graphic etc) it gets copyright automatically. The easiest way to prove in court that you own the copyright to a piece of work is by registering it and the organisation responsible for copyright registration in Uganda is Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB). The registration process here, like other content types, is governed by the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act 2006. For registration of online content, you are required to register the content on the blog and not the blog itself. The reason for this is the fact that most platforms used for blogging, like WordPress or Tumblr, are already registered IP domains. It is different if you develop an app and store all your content there. Here you would register the app and then by default all content under it would be within your copyright, unless stated otherwise. A good example of this is the Eunie’s Kitchen app, an app by Dr Eunice Adubango of the Eunie’s Kitchen where she shares recipes. Once her app is registered, she does not need to register the videos she puts up. On a platform like YouTube however, if registration is how she would like to prove ownership, she would need to register each video.

Registering each piece of content on a blog however doesn’t sound very practical, especially given the lengthy and pricey registration process at URSB which you can see here and here.

Enter time stamps.

For online content, another way to prove your copyright is using the time stamps that can be retrieved from whatever platform you have used. However, sometimes maintaining the chain of evidence can be hard since time stamps can very easily be tampered with. It can be conclusive proof if it is very clear and has been certified by a forensic expert but a certificate of registration still holds more weight in court. It moves the burden of proof to the defendant.

With that being said though, time stamps make it easier to prove copyright ownership with online content than with other content forms such as books or paintings. It is for this reason that, for these other forms of content especially, registration is always encouraged. For online content, be very deliberate about time stamps. Record times and dates of uploading and sharing so you can look back and prove copyright. If you have subscribers, people that comment, like and share your work, then these can be witnesses in your case of infringement.

If you use a picture or graphic from someone else’s website and give adequate credit (possibly with information on how to reach that person) then there will probably be no need for monetary compensation. It will depend heavily on how much you have taken though. If it is a whole article or a whole album of pictures then that might cross the line of what in law is known as fair usage. Fair usage will include derived work used for academic purposes or work that is very minimally reproductive in terms of the original work’s core and purpose. What is looked at is quality rather than quantity. What have you taken? Does it form part of your core article? Is just a reproduction? Have you taken the information from something that should be bought? Are you giving out the information for free? To re-echo, in these cases, crediting work is essential. But note that the work credited shouldn’t be a substantial portion of the work, you shouldn’t take more than you need, and it should not reduce the value of the original work.

On the other hand, in cases where your work has been infringed upon by other online platforms you can work with an internet intermediary and have the act reported and the work taken down. Internet intermediaries include internet service providers (ISPs), search engines and social media platforms. The terms on many social media platforms account for infringement and cite that once it is reported there will be a notice and takedown requirement issued. In some cases the intermediary will be liable if they do not issue the notice after being informed.

When it comes to ownership of copyright and the rights ensuing, if you are not creating for yourself, it would depend on the contract created with your employer. Most employers will state in the contract that work created within the confines of employment (in work time or using work equipment) unless otherwise stated, will belong to the company. This is how intellectual property currently generally works. Here, the copyright can only be enforced by the employer and for that purpose will belong to them. If the employee would like to file a case citing infringement they would need to involve their employer. In this case, both have rights but the economic rights belong to the employer and the employee has the moral right: they can demand credit. Lesson here? Read and re-read and re-read your contracts before you sign! Even better, have a lawyer look through  and advise you accordingly. At the very least you must know what you are getting into before you get in.

We also talked about the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) circular issued earlier this year (which you can read here) pertaining to the registration of online platforms and how it affects us as a company that publishes heavily online. Mr. Muhangi was quick to mention the fact that one, it is legal. Technically it is law, in the sense that UCC derives its powers from the UCC Act which is very clear in regards to the jurisdiction UCC will have and that bloggers and other news distribution platforms are within that jurisdiction. It is arguable since the law is ambiguous, but it is very clear that as long as you are publishing something online, UCC has regulatory purview. The best thing to do here would be to dialogue with them through an association; it is okay for UCC to regulate online publishing platforms, but can they be more specific on the criteria? If I am running a blog sharing my personal stories can I be exempt? Can the scope of online platforms be better defined; will it include my twitter threads or instagram stories? What platforms is it limited to? The issue is the notice has come out but it is not clear; right now it includes everyone and every platform. Understanding the need for the circular is also important as we dialogue. There are so many newspapers, especially online, publishing fake news nowadays and there is no way to regulate them and that becomes a problem. The fact that they are anonymous makes regulation even harder. This is what Mr. Muhangi thinks was the main focus of the circular. You can read more on his thoughts here.

Thank you so much KTA Advocates for the enlightening conference! Thank you for taking it upon ourselves to equip and educate the creatives of Uganda. We look forward to the creation of more conversation like these in the future.