As journalists continue to face attacks from the armed forces and other media freedom perpetrators, Human Rights Network for Journalists – HRNJ – UGANDA continues to forge ways for better working relationships between media and the key perpetrators.
During a media dialogue that discussed the findings of the 2022 Press Freedom Index Report at Skyz Hotel in Kampala, the Executive Director of HRNJ – UGANDA, Robert Ssempala explained that the engagement aimed at having a fair dialogue amongst all parties and devise ways on how to work amicably.
The dialogue had in attendance, the Deputy spokesperson of UPDF Col. Deo Akiiki, the Director Human Rights and Legal Services – Uganda police, James Kusemererwa and the Uganda Communications Commission lawyer Abdul Salam Waiswa, plus some journalists.
“We strongly believe that such engagements will one day yield fruits of press freedom, so that the media can do its work without the armed forces blocking them in any way that denies access to information and passing it onto the masses,” Ssempala expressed optimism.
The HRNJ – UGANDA press freedom report 2022 titled, “Uncertain Future For The Media” that was recently launched, still ranked police as top perpetrators for the 14th year. The report pointed out a total of 94 (Ninety Four) cases of human rights violations and abuses meted against journalists and media practitioners.
The reported cases involved assaults, unlawful arrests and detention, denial of information and sexual harassment of especially female journalists. Although the number of reported cases is less than those reported in 2021, overall, the environment for the practice of journalism and the exercise of press rights and freedoms in Uganda in 2022 remained a hostile one.
This is confirmed by the Freedom in the World Report 2022 under which Uganda was ranked number 132 out of 180 countries. This was a fall by seven places from the 2021 rankings.
The amendment of the Computer Misuse Act to introduce stringent penalties for offences already provided for under existing laws, is looked at, as one of the moves by the perpetrators to continue gagging the media especially now where the media is getting more digitalized.
Uganda Communications Commission lawyer Abdul Salam Waiswa however, says that their role isn’t to gag media practitioners but rather to guide so that minimum broadcasting and media standards are observed.
Waiswa said that the media has become an enemy to itself because it uses people who aren’t professionals in journalism and mass communication who keep on breaching the journalism and media ethics. He insists that certifying journalists is the only way the media industry can get rid of quack media personalities.
The Deputy spokesperson of UPDF Col. Deo Akiiki, explained that in efforts to better the relationship between the media and the army, they introduced a course unit; The Role of the Media into their army trainings, so that the men in uniform can appreciate the fourth estate’s role and learn to work with it.
He however called on media owners to provide the necessary safety gears to their field reporters who normally cover riots and demonstrations because at times it becomes hard to differentiate between a journalist on duty and a mere camera man or woman.
Director Human Rights and Legal Services – Uganda police, James Kusemererwa pledged to borrow a leaf from UPDF but he noted that many clashes between the media and the armed forces, happen during the political campaigns and voting period.
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