ICTs for Democracy: Information and Communication Technologies for the Enhancement of Democracy? with a Focus on Empowerment

Access to and the strategic use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) have been shown to have the potential to help bring about economic development, poverty reduction, and democratisation. This report examines the potential of ICTs for advancing democracy and empowerment. It focuses on Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda where it argues that governments are currently not adequately equipped for ? and in the cases of Uganda and Tanzania, disinclined towards ? any critical engagement with civil society and the public. In Tanzania and Uganda there is limited state support for political parties and political activism by NGOs and CSOs is discouraged.