Media crackdown taskforce set up in Uganda

The Cabinet yesterday constituted a powerful special sub-committee to investigate radios and newspapers accused of giving bad publicity to the ruling NRM government. The ad hoc committee, to be chaired by Second Deputy Prime Minister Henry Muganwa Kajura, has been tasked to explore how such media organisations, acting as a “mouthpiece” for the opposition, can be whipped to toe a line more favourable to the government. (22-MAY-08)

Written by Mercy Nalugo and Risdel Kasasira, this article was first published in today’s issue of the Ugandan newspaper the Monitor. It has been illustrated, edited and prepared for publication here by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz.

The sub-committee will also review the existing laws and inquire into the workings of certain sections of the media that ‘incite’ violence.

Information and National Guidance Minister Kirunda Kivejinja, Security Minister Amama Mbabazi, Attorney General Kiddhu Makubuya, Internal Affairs State Minister Matia Kasaijja and Dr James Nsaba Buturo, the minister of state for Ethics and his ICT counterpart Ham Mulira, are the other members. “The committee is expected to report its findings and recommendations to Cabinet after a month,” a source who chose anonymity because he is not authorised to speak about the closed-door meeting, said.

Another source said Mr Kivejinja, who will address the press about resolutions of yesterday’s meeting, submitted a paper outlining strong actions on errant media houses. To this end, the Cabinet that met at the Statistics House in Kampala mandated the committee to revisit the media laws and propose tougher amendments that will corner journalists, media managers and owners. “The Cabinet agreed that some sections of the media, especially the Central Broadcasting Services (CBS) incite violence. The opposition [politicians] uses CBS to fight the government and we want to see how we can urgently [tame] them through the law,” the source said.

In December last year, President Museveni warned Buganda Kingdom that owns shares in CBS FM radio not to let government critics have a free rein to use the station to malign NRM party and fan tribal sentiments. At yesterday’s meeting, the laws lined out for comprehensive review included the Penal Code Act, the Access to Information Act and other electronic media laws. Daily Monitor has learnt that the committee shall write a paper for the Cabinet and the NRM Caucus before new laws are debated.

The committee’s work will also base on reports that have been compiled by security agencies on broadcast and print publications and the daily briefs that are submitted to the President. “The ministers jointly agreed that strong measures be taken immediately on the media because the government has tolerated them for a long time,” the source said. The Cabinet retreat on the media comes on the heels of grave concerns that the government is directly infringing on the rights and freedom of journalists. According to the December 2007 report by the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, media freedom in Uganda is threatened by legal restrictions, economic, political pressures and poor working conditions for journalists.

The report maintains that following media liberalisation in the 1990s, there has been an increase in state interference, with arbitrary closures of media houses, dictation of content, self-censorship by journalists and loss of editorial independence. At least a dozen journalists are currently facing prosecutions over stories that the state deems are either seditious or defamatory. It emerged yesterday that some liberal ministers sought to understand the intricacies of media operations and come up “with measures on how the press can partner with the government”.
 
Source:: http://www.monitor.co.ug/