President Yoweri Museveni has assented to the Anti-Pornography (Mini-skirt) Bill.
The president appended his signature to the bill that will see promoters of pornographic material punished.
Under the law, publishers, producers, and traffickers of any pornographic material will face ten years in jail or pay a fine of 10million shillings.
For promoters of child pornography, upon conviction, will pay a fine of Sh14 million or imprisoned for 15 years or both.
Under the same law, any person convicted of indecent dressing which includes wearing skimpy attire will pay a fine of Sh10 million or spend a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Addressing the media, Ethics and Integrity Minister, Father Simon Lokodo said that a committee will be set up to destroy all pornographic material and carry out sensitization on the dangers of pornography and rehabilitate those affected.
On December 18, 2013 Parliament adopted the Anti-Pornography Bill, 2011, which seeks to establish a catch-all offense of pornography and provide a comprehensive legal regime on the subject.
However, this legislation is not the first of its kind in the country.
Currently, the Penal Code criminalizes certain acts, including making, publishing, possessing, importing and/or exporting, or advertising what are considered “obscene” materials.
The Computer Misuse Act of 2011, among other measures, also bans the possession, procurement, production, and distribution of “child pornography,” the violation of which is, on conviction, publishable by a fine and/or up to 15 years of imprisonment.
In addition, the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act of 2009 makes trafficking in persons for the purpose of engaging them in pornography an offense punishable by 15 years in prison.
