Michael Aboneka

Michael Aboneka is a legal practitioner and governance advocate with over 15 years of experience in civil society, specializing in digital rights, internet governance, and broader human rights, with a strong focus on policy advocacy and democratic governance. A PhD Candidate at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria where he is researching on AI and freedom of expression and supporting the Expression Information and Digital Rights Unit of the Centre. He holds an LLM in Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Pretoria, an LLB from Uganda Christian University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in Kampala and special training in Constitution Building from the Central European University, Budapest, Hungary.  His work spans governance monitoring, constitutional development, and natural resource governance, alongside extensive engagement with African Union processes, particularly the African Governance Architecture. He has a sustained interest in digital public infrastructure (DPIs), and has been actively involved in public interest litigation addressing issues such as internet shutdowns, digital identification systems, and related accountability concerns. Professionally, he is a Partner at Thomas & Michael Advocates and has previously held senior roles at ActionAid International Uganda, Global Rights Alert, the Centre for Basic Research, and the Uganda National NGO Forum.