Judge Stephen Musota of the Kampala High court has dismissed an application filed by Norman Tumuhimbise and Rights Trumpet Ltd, seeking to stop Uganda Communications Commission-UCC from switching off the unregistered sim-cards.
The duo, on April 18 dragged UCC to the civil division of the High Court challenging the ongoing simcard subscriber verification process. The process is slated to end tomorrow, even though MTN has already started deactivating unregistered simcards.
Through their lawyers of Niwagaba and Mwebesa Advocates, the petitioners argued that it was unfair and unconstitutional for UCC to restrict citizens to using only national IDs for registration yet there are other official documents like passports which foreign nationals were allowed to use for the exercise.
The petitioners want court to set aside and declare as invalid UCC's decision, taken on April 12, when the body issued a seven-day ultimatum within which all subscribers of mobile telecom services to update their SIM card details using only their national identification card.
Justice Musota today ruled that the interim application in which the petitioners were seeking to temporarily block UCC from continuing with the process had been overtaken by events. He therefore dismissed it with costs.
The costs however, are to be awarded after the main application is determined. Each party has been given a week to make written submissions. The applicants have been given May 25th and UCC given 1st June to respond and make rejoinders by June after which the court will set the dates for hearing the application.
Activist Norman Tumuhimbise, one of the petitioners, has told Howwe that they oppose the behaviour and the manner in which their case was handled by the presiding judge. He noted that they are referring the matter to the Principal Judge for redress.