On 27th March 2018, The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) suspended licenses of 23 radio stations for reportedly promoting witchcraft, creating favorable grounds for electronic fraud of unsuspecting listeners.
Two days after the commission suspended the licenses of these 23 stations, some “defiant” stations have remained active on the air waves giving a deaf ear to the orders of the regulator.
The commission is playing any games this time and has vowed to confiscate the equipment of any radio station that will be found in operation after their license was suspended.
“All radio stations that are still operating after the directive of their closure are attracting heavy penalties from UCC like confiscation of transmitters and total withdrawal of licences”, said Ibrahim Bbosa, Uganda Consumer Affairs Manager UCC.
Bbosa added that UCC’s field agents are on the look out to find out whether some suspended radio stations are studiously disobeying or switch off their radios. The radios were closed due to a bleach of the 1957 Witchcraft Act.
UCC has obviously stopped playing nice when dealing with cyber crimes that involve SIM card swap fraud, fraudulent national ID sim card registration by setting tough conditions conditions under which a SIM card can be swapped or replaced.
The regulator commission continues its mandate to regulate the communications sector and these 23 radio stations are no exception. They have been advised to switch off their transition immediately lest their equipment will be confiscated and their licenses terminated for good.
The commission said these stations can only start operating again if they can prove beyond reasonable doubt that they will shun any acts that contravenes with the set broadcasting standards.
Confiscation will send a message to any other radio station that was planning to defy the commissions directive by continuing with operation after suspension of the licence.
