Digital forensics framework for investigating gender-based online harassment and abuse : a case of Kampala Uganda.
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Date
2026
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Busitema University
Abstract
The rise of social media in Uganda has increased Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV) including Non-Consensual Intimate Images, cyberstalking, and online sexual harassment affecting 28-49% of women (up to 75% among urban refugees). Critically, recent appeals of key sections of Uganda's Computer Misuse Act have further weakened the legal framework for OGBV prosecutions, creating explicit gaps in digital evidence handling and removing procedural anchors for forensic investigations (Kigwana et al., 2023; WOUGNET, 2025). This legal regression, combined with capacity constraints in the Uganda Police Force Cyber Unit, justifies this research. A mixed-methods approach was employed with 368 survey respondents, 28 key informants, 34 focus group participants, and expert validation through a two-round Delphi study with 15 specialists. Computational evidence collection from social media platforms yielded 82,360 digital artifacts. The developed framework demonstrated statistically significant improvements (p<0.001) in evidence acquisition (62.3%→89.7%), cross-platform correlation accuracy (48.5%→86.2%), and expert-estimated prosecution readiness (41.2%→68.5%) in the simulation study. The customized NLP classifier achieved an F1 score of 86.6%. Legal expert evaluation indicated improved admissibility readiness from 5.6 to 8.9 out of 10. The validated DFF improves evidence efficiency, integrity, and admissibility, compensating for the repealed legal provisions and fostering a safer online environment despite current statutory limitations.
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Namuyanja, A. (2026). Digital forensics framework for investigating gender-based online harassment and abuse : a case of Kampala Uganda. [Unpublished dissertation]. Busitema University.