CIPESA

📢📢 Registration is NOW OPEN for #FIFAfrica26! 📢📢 The 13th edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa is heading to #Mauritius from September 28 – October 1, 2026 - and YOU are invited to be part of it. Join over 500 participants from across Africa and beyond for exciting conversations, critical reflection, and collective action on #InternetFreedomAfrica and the future of our digital societies. #FIFAfrica26 will convene policymakers, activists, journalists, academics, technologists, and creatives to engage the most pressing issues shaping Africa’s digital landscape, including: 🟠Digital Democracy and Civic Participation 🟠Data Governance and Sovereignty 🟠Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies 🟠Platform Accountability 🟠Digital Inclusion 🟠Digital Economy, Trade and Practices 🟠Movement Building 🟠Digital Security and Safety Register now and secure your spot 👉🏾tinyurl.com/FIFAfrica26

🇿🇼 #Zimbabwe's new National Artificial Intelligence(#AI) Strategy gives #African states a practical template for adopting AI without deepening dependency. Six pillars anchor it: 1⃣Talent & capacity development. 2⃣Infrastructure & computational sovereignty 3⃣AI adoption & service transformation 4⃣Governance, ethics & regulation 5⃣Research, development & innovation 6⃣Strategic international collaboration It aligns with the AU Continental AI Strategy and treats data sovereignty as a precondition ,not an afterthought. The real test now is whether implementation matches ambition. Read full article here:tinyurl.com/334vrmyv

"Every African has the right to affordable, safe, and meaningful access to the internet." Thank you @cipesaug for your valuable support at #AfTPS2026. 12 years. 14 countries. Africa's leading digital rights forum. One mission: internet freedom for all. #KeIGF2026 #DigitalRights #InternetFreedom #TechPolicy

This feeling is more common than you think , and honestly, it's often a sign you have something worth sharing. FIFAfrica welcomes voices at every stage, from first-time contributors to seasoned advocates. The room is built for people exactly like you. Go for it ,we'd love to see your proposal in.

@cipesaug @KICTANet @PollicyOrg I want to apply but scared.

Have you registered for #FIFAfrica26 yet? And submitted your session proposal? Africa's premier digital rights Forum lands in Mauritius, 28 Sept – 1 Oct 2026. Join 500+ policymakers, technologists, journalists & advocates from 60+ countries, and help shape the agenda. Don't just attend. Lead a panel, workshop, lightning talk or exhibition. Register & submit: mailchi.mp/cipesa.org/sub… #InternetFreedomAfrica

#Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 @cipesaug applauds Zimbabwe's adoption of its National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy as an important step towards advancing tech-enabled digital and socio-economic transformation. cipesa.org/2026/05/zimbab…

#Africa 🌍 @cipesaug recommends ways to rethink platform design and accountability to Combat TFGBV in Africa. cipesa.org/2026/05/rethin…

Meet Raylenne Kambua — moderating the Access & Digital Inclusion panel at #KenyaYouthIGF today. 🇰🇪Journalist. Communications professional. Internet Governance Fellow. And the person who helped build a Kiswahili lexicon for technology-facilitated gender-based violence because advocacy must speak your language. #KenyaYouthIGF #AfTPS2026

For over a decade, we've documented Africa's digital rights landscape through the annual State of Internet Freedom in Africa reports. From the first edition in 2014 investigating policies in East Africa, to the 2025 report on AI and digital democracy. These reports have shaped policy conversations across the continent, and each one has been launched at FIFAfrica ,the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa. Access past reports here:cipesa.org/resources/ Now it's your turn to shape the conversation. ⏰ The Call for Proposals for #FIFAfrica26 closes on 29 May. Submit your session ideas on digital democracy, data governance, AI, platform accountability, digital inclusion, and more here: tinyurl.com/42rwc2nv 🗓️ #Mauritius | 28 September – 1 October 2026 #InternetFreedomAfrica #FIFAfrica26

Our Technology Officer, Brian Byaruhanga, joined the PRIVACY & PROTECTION IN A DIGITAL WORLD panel this week, breaking down what we share online (often without knowing), the trade-offs we make for convenience, and the practical steps to take back some control. From digital hygiene basics to knowing your rights, participants left with real knowledge and practical tools to stay safe online. #BeeraSharp

We recently joined key stakeholders at the High-Level Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Business and Digital Rights, convened by @cipesaug. The engagement created important conversations around Digital Public Infrastructure(DPI), Artificial Intelligence, and the need to advance digital solutions that respect and protect human rights, especially women and children.

🚀Africa's digital boom is fuelling a rise in Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). Platform design, weak moderation, and Artificial Intelligence(AI) trained on western data leaves women,especially journalists, activists & politicians,exposed. From the webinar Advancing Platform Accountability for Women's Online Safety in Africa, key recommendations: 🔹 Hire African content moderators with linguistic & cultural expertise. 🔹 Mandate algorithmic transparency & local platform presence. 🔹 Equip policymakers to understand algorithmic systems. 🔹 Fund women's rights orgs for survivor support. 🔹 Build users' digital resilience. Access the full article here:tinyurl.com/wyfdvyur #BeSafeByDesign

In Uganda, Parliament passes laws. TikTok passes the judgment Satire has proven particularly well suited to this environment bit.ly/4eNNGjE?utm_me…  #MonitorUpdates

On 7th May 2026, we joined @cipesaug at a High-Level Stakeholder Dialogue on Advancing Digital Rights by Businesses in Uganda. As one of the implementing partners on the Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Business (ARBHR) project, we have spent the past months making digital rights practical and accessible for Ugandan businesses.

As the World Health Organisation develops its Global Digital Health Strategy 2028–2033, CIPESA urges that it be anchored in human rights, equity & accountability. We submitted the following key recommendations: ✅ Rights-respecting digital public infrastructure. ✅ Clear legal frameworks for health data & patient consent. ✅ Africa-tested AI with mandatory explainability standards. ✅ National interoperability standards for secure data exchange. ✅ Equity impact assessments before deploying new systems. ✅ Domestic financing for sustainable digital health. Read more here: tinyurl.com/3ceappt2

📰Stakeholders call for human-centred digital transformation at Uganda Digital Rights Dialogue. Uganda's digital future must put people first. At a CIPESA-organised multistakeholder dialogue, govt, civil society & business leaders called for human rights-centred AI policy, grassroots digital literacy in local languages, stronger data sovereignty, and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure & collaboration. Full Article is here:tinyurl.com/dxys4dh8 #InternetFreedomAfrica #BeeraSharp #AI

As the media ecosystem evolves at an unprecedented pace, #InformationIntegrity has become fundamntal to the converstaion. Speaking at the #PanAfricanMediaSummit2026, David Omwoyo , the CEO of the Media Council of Kenya noted that, “Less than a decade ago, we were focused on whether people could access information. Today, access is no longer the question. Integrity is. The real challenge is the cleanliness, credibility, and trustworthiness of that information." Discussions delved into media sustainability and independence, emphasising that without viable economic models, ethical journalism and reliable information systems cannot endure. The sessions CIPESA attended also highlighted the intersection of #ArtificialIntelligence(AI), media, and policy, alongside the urgent need for stronger collaboration among media, regulators and digital platforms. The deliberations further underscored Africa’s position within the global tech landscape, stressing the importance of inclusive innovation, local agency, and international cooperation to ensure AI and digital platforms support credible, contextually grounded information ecosystems across the continent. This also echoes the positions taken by African media initiatives at the May 4 World Press Freedom Day commemorations held in Lusaka, Zambia. #InternetFreedomAfrica

Most modern #Govts, states and cities, including Kampala, are increasingly becoming dependent upon global synchronized #DigitalPublicInfrastructure, but do we ever worry about the day extreme weather events could wreak havoc on this infrastructure, and ground modern life to a halt, for weeks, if not months? Could the maintenance of analogue systems by Govts and even the private sector act as their "Plan B," just in case the worst happens? @cipesaug @UCC_Official @NITAUganda1 @MoICT_Ug @UNDRR @ITU @PSIASciencesPo @OPMUganda

Throwback Thursday. In 2014, the inaugural #FIFAfrica happened in Uganda, and we haven't looked back since! From those early conversations on internet freedom to a continent-wide movement, the journey has been incredible. We launched the State of Internet Freedoms in East Africa 2014 report that examined the policies and practices shaping internet freedom across six countries: 🇧🇮Burundi, 🇪🇹Ethiopia, 🇰🇪Kenya, 🇷🇼Rwanda, 🇹🇿Tanzania, and 🇺🇬Uganda. It found that while internet and mobile use was growing steadily across the region, governments were increasingly enacting laws to intercept communications and monitor citizens online. Register for #FIFAfrica26 in 🇲🇺Mauritius here. Register &/submit your proposal here:tinyurl.com/42rwc2nv Get your ticket here: internetfreedom.africa #FIFAfrica26

📣 Your voice belongs at Africa Facts Summit 2026 We’re looking for bold ideas to tackle disinformation and strengthen information integrity across Africa. 🗓 Deadline: 30 June 🔗 Submit: africacheck.info/summit_proposa… 📧 hlalani@africacheck.org Step up and share your perspective.

Uganda, Kenya & Rwanda have anti-corruption laws, but corruption persists. A new Transparency International report reveals only 25% of information requests in Uganda received responses between 2018–2025, with just 14% of applicants accessing what they sought. Edrine Wanyama notes that access to information laws only work when actively used. "Corruption happens in the dark or behind closed doors". This makes scrutiny of budgets and procurement essential. The verdict? Transparency exists on paper, but remains uneven in practice. Read the full article here:tinyurl.com/3sryvkm4