Kampala court convicts businesswoman over mobile loan data privacy breach
Kampala court convicts businesswoman over mobile loan data privacy breach
Publish Date: 2026-06-12 08:03:00
Source Domain: www.monitor.co.ug
A Kampala court has sentenced a 31-year-old businesswoman to a fine of Shs 100,000 or two months in prison for unlawfully obtaining and disclosing a client’s personal data.
Finah Atlist, a resident of Kalerwe zone in Kampala, was sentenced on Friday, June 12, 2026, by Makindye Grade One Magistrate Geoffrey Akena. The conviction followed a successful plea bargain agreement between Atlist and the prosecution, an arrangement where an accused person pleads guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
“You are convicted on your plea of guilty,” Magistrate Akena ruled.
The prosecution established that in October 2025, Atlist and others still at large—acting as agents for Gold Credit, an online money lending application—unlawfully obtained and disclosed the National Identity Card details of a client, Apecho Oliver, to third parties without authorization.
Atlist pleaded guilty to the unlawful obtaining and disclosure of personal data, which violates Section 35 of the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, and Regulation 34 of the Data Protection and Privacy Regulations. She further admitted to operating without registering with the Personal Data Protection Office, contrary to Section 29(3) of the same law.
While Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 strictly regulates how personal information is collected and processed, digital rights experts warn that data breaches remain a persistent threat in the country. The problem is heavily fueled by rapid digitalization, weak enforcement mechanisms, and a lack of public awareness regarding digital rights.
The vulnerabilities in Uganda’s data systems were highlighted in a recent report by Unwanted Witness, a civil society organization advocating for digital rights. The regional survey, which assessed 48 companies across Uganda, Kenya, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe, revealed that Uganda still lags significantly behind in safeguarding personal data.
According to the Unwanted…
