UCC LAUNCHES COUNTRYWIDE CAMPAIGN AS 88.5% OF STUDENTS REPORT ONLINE HARMS

Officials at the launch of the campaign

PML DAILY

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has launched a sustained countrywide campaign to protect children from online abuse after a survey found that 88.5% of students had encountered digital harms, while nearly three-quarters of those affected never reported the incidents.

The campaign was launched at Kololo Senior Secondary School on Wednesday as UCC began a nationwide student awareness drive aimed at equipping learners with skills to identify, avoid and report online risks.

The findings, based on a survey of more than 5,700 students at Kololo Senior Secondary School, highlight the growing exposure of children to the internet and the challenges parents and authorities face in protecting them.

The survey found that 98.4% of the learners knew how to use the internet, demonstrating the extent to which digital technology has become part of children’s daily lives.

However, parental oversight remains a challenge, with only 73.1% of parents reportedly aware of how their children use the internet.

UCC Director of Economic Regulation, Content and Consumer Affairs, Julianne Rwakakoko Mweheire, said the findings point to significant risks facing children in the digital space.

She said 88.5% of the surveyed learners had encountered digital harms, including cyberbullying, misinformation and hate speech, while 70.1% had encountered sexual messages, images or videos.

Students of Kololo secondary school in Kampala gathered for the campaign

More concerning, she said, 74.2% of learners who encountered such risks never told anyone, including their parents.

“Children, you are exposed, but you are largely silent. That silence is a danger. A child who will not report abuse cannot be protected,” Rwakakoko said.

The survey also found that 36.2% of the students spend more than four hours online each day.

Rwakakoko said the findings demonstrate the need for sustained awareness campaigns rather than one-off sensitisation activities.

“This launch today, therefore, represents a huge milestone as we flag off the UCC Sustained Countrywide Student Awareness Campaign so that every learner knows what harm looks like, how to refuse it, and where to report it,” she said.

The campaign brings together government, schools, parents, security agencies, technology companies and other stakeholders, with UCC expected to spearhead the initiative.

Speaking at the launch, Ministry of ICT and National Guidance Permanent Secretary Dr Amina Zawedde said the government does not intend to keep children away from technology but wants them to acquire the knowledge and skills required to use it safely.

Ministry of ICT and National Guidance Permanent Secretary Dr Amina Zawedde speaking at the launch

“Children should not be kept out of the digital world; they should be equipped to navigate it safely,” Zawedde said.

Zawedde, who represented the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, said children are increasingly growing up in an environment where smartphones, computers and internet connectivity are part of everyday life.

She said online safety therefore requires collective responsibility from parents, schools, government and other stakeholders.

The initiative, she said, is intended to address challenges such as cyberbullying, misleading content and other forms of online abuse affecting young people.

UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo said the campaign comes at a time when Ugandan children are increasingly using digital platforms for education, entertainment, communication and other opportunities.

He, however, warned that the same platforms can expose children to cyberbullying, harassment, stalking, blackmail, exploitation, harmful content, misinformation and addiction.

“The internet brings enormous opportunities, but it also presents real risks to children. The question is not whether children should use the internet. They already do. The question is, how do we make sure they can learn, connect, create, and have fun online without being exposed to avoidable harm?” Thembo said.

He called for joint action involving parents, schools, police, regulators, technology companies and children themselves to create safer digital spaces.

Thembo said children and parents remain critical gatekeepers in protecting young people from online risks, urging each stakeholder to play their role.

UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo speaking at the event

He added that Uganda’s digital transformation can only be sustained if online platforms are trusted, safe and inclusive for current and future generations.

The UCC campaign will focus on strengthening digital literacy and online safety among children and parents while encouraging learners to report abuse and seek help from trusted adults.

Students were urged to think carefully before posting content online, protect their personal information, exercise caution when interacting with strangers and report content or interactions that make them uncomfortable or put them at risk.

“Being connected matters; knowing how to stay safe matters more,” Thembo said.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis