Government bans 500 pornography sites

Kampala, Uganda | URN | The government’s Pornograpy Control Committee has raised concern over the increasing exposure of children to online sexual exploitation and harmful digital content.

Speaking to journalists at the government-owned media centre, Annet Kezabu, the Chairperson of the Pornography Control Committee, said they have discovered that children consume online sexual content either from phones bought for them by their parents or from tablets at home.

Kezabu warned that early exposure to explicit content can distort a child’s natural development, leading to confusion, premature sexualization, and in extreme cases, self-harm.

She pointed to the role of digital algorithms, which continue to recommend explicit material based on prior consumption by parents, sometimes accessed by children when devices are shared within households.

She said working with the Uganda Communications Commission, they recently initiated targeted blocking of 500 pornographic websites.

However, Dr. Kezabu emphasized that technological measures alone are insufficient, saying blocking sites is not enough.

She added that this is a societal issue that requires collective action, calling on the media, parents, educators, and religious institutions to play an active role in raising awareness and protecting children.

She revealed that outreach programs are being expanded in schools, involving teachers and administrators in educating students about online safety and exploitation risks.

Kezabu also challenged societal denial around the issue, noting that even very young children are already aware of explicit content.“We are often shocked by what nursery school children know. We must stop pretending that this problem does not exist,” she said.

Kezabu also pointed out that New Best Hotel, located in Nateete, is a hub of pornography.

She said they have engaged the proprietor several times, and he had committed to stopping the practice but later resumed, partly due to the repeal of some provisions of the pornography law.

She pledged continued crackdowns on pornography hubs, artists, and socialites who promote pornography.//Cue in: “We did surveillance…

In addition, Joel Wanjala, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity, who represented the Permanent Secretary, Dunstan Balaba, attributed the trend to rising moral decay among young people in Uganda, which he said threatens national development goals.

Wanjala noted that there are increasing cases of indiscipline, violence, and risky behaviour among youth caused by poor parenting, broken families, drug abuse, and the unchecked influence of social media.

He also pointed to a surge in teenage pregnancies, abortions, and pornography consumption, particularly among students, saying that such issues reflect a broader breakdown in the country’s traditional value systems.

“This is not just about isolated incidents; these are symptoms of a deeper moral crisis that we must address collectively as a nation,” Wanjala noted.

In response, Wanjala said the government has implemented several policy measures, such as the National Ethical Values Policy introduced in 2013, which promotes principles such as integrity, respect for humanity, patriotism, and social responsibility, aimed at restoring ethical standards.

These values have been integrated into school curricula through character development programs targeting young people.

He said that a nationwide sensitization campaign is already underway and is expected to reach all secondary schools and higher institutions within five years.

In addition, the government highlighted the Anti-Pornography Act of 2014, which led to the creation of the Pornography Control Committee tasked with regulating explicit content and protecting minors.

On the issue of enforcement and regulation by the Uganda Communications Commission’ (UCC) Spokesperson, Ibrahim Bossa suggested the need said to balance enforcement, public cooperation, and responsible broadcasting

Bossa noted that pornography is not prevalent on licensed platforms because they adhere to the terms and conditions of their licenses.

He explained that the problem lies mainly with social media applications, which are peer-to-peer platforms where people broadcast content with minimal standards.

He added that it is difficult for the Commission to regulate many emerging social media platforms because a lot of  information is shared directly between users.

Bossa appealed to parents to be mindful of how they engage with immoral content because internet algorithms interpret such engagement as popularity, thereby promoting it further.

He noted that many platforms have parental control features that can help prevent children from accessing inappropriate content.

“We need to work together. While we have enforcement tools, we also need cooperation from consumers and broadcasters, because it is in between where control can be achieved,” Bossa remarked.

Bossa urged the public to report websites that promote immoral content so they can be blocked. However, he expressed concern that when one website is blocked, many more quickly emerge.