UCC Launches Child Online Protection Campaign at Kololo Secondary School

KAMPALA, October 7, 2026 – The Uganda Communications Commission has launched the Child Online Protection campaign at Kololo Secondary School in Kampala, calling for stronger awareness, reporting and coordinated action to protect children from harm online.

The launch followed a survey of more than 5,700 students, which found that while 98.4% know how to use the internet, 88.5% have encountered problems in the digital space, including cyberbullying, misinformation and hate speech. 70.1% had encountered sexual messages, images or videos, while 74.2% said they never tell anyone, including their parents, about harmful experiences online.

Presenting the findings, UCC’s Director for Economic Regulation, Content and Consumer Affairs, Julianne R. Mweheire, said the results demonstrate that connectivity is now part of children’s daily lives, while adult oversight and reporting remain a challenge. She said the campaign will therefore go beyond awareness events to promote sustained student engagement, parent education, regulatory enforcement and collaboration with institutions and service providers. The objective is to ensure that children can recognise online harm, know how to respond and know where to seek help.

The UCC Executive Director, Hon. Nyombi Thembo said the growth of digital access has created opportunities for children to learn, connect, create and participate, but has also exposed them to risks including cyberbullying, harassment, stalking, blackmail, exploitation, harmful content and misinformation. He called on students to protect their personal information, think before posting and sharing, be careful about who they trust online and speak to a trusted adult when they feel uncomfortable or threatened. Parents and teachers, he said, should equip children with the knowledge and confidence to navigate technology rather than simply discourage them from using it.

Representing the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Permanent Secretary Dr. Amina Zawedde said child protection must now extend to digital spaces, just as it addresses risks such as child labour, trafficking and abuse in the physical environment. She noted that the internet has become an important tool for education, communication, creativity and opportunity, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, but also presents risks such as cyber harassment, inappropriate content, grooming, misinformation and other forms of abuse.

Dr. Zawedde called for parents and guardians to take an active interest in children’s online activities, schools to strengthen digital skills and judgement, and technology companies to build safer platforms, strengthen reporting mechanisms and respond appropriately to harmful content.

The campaign is supported by the Child Online Protection Regulatory Framework 2026, which provides a basis for coordinated action on child safety in Uganda’s digital environment. The launch therefore marks the beginning of a sustained national effort to help children participate in the digital world safely, responsibly and confidently.