SECTOR 1 It is time to think about calling for a shield law to protect journalists from being compelled to reveal confidential sources of information. The scoring was done on the basis of the status quo without taking the Interception of Communications Bill into account. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator. 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 4.2 (2007: 3.9) 1.8 Public information is easily guaranteed by law, to all citizens. accessible, Analysis: Article 41 of the constitution guarantees citizens the “right to access information in possession of the State or any other organ or agency of the State except where the release of the information is likely to prejudice the security or sovereignty of the State or interfere with the right to the privacy of any other person”, and enjoins parliament to develop appropriate legislation. It took lawmakers 10 years to pass the Access to Information Act 2005, and this was only after a member of parliament had tabled a private member’s bill forcing the government to take over the process. The law is being implemented very reluctantly because there seems to be no political will to do so. Regulations making the law operational have been in place since 2008, but the government is yet to issue a legal instrument that gives those regulations force by defining which information can and which cannot be released to the public. As a result information officers in the various government ministries and departments continue to rely on the classifications in the much-criticised Official Secrets Act which the Access to Information Act did not repeal. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2010 25