By Ramadhan Abbey
Kampala
On Friday, the media fraternity in Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) amides persistent harassment of journalists by security operatives
The annual celebration acts as a fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluating press freedom globally, defending the media from attacks on their independence.
It also a reminder to governments of their need to respect their commitment to press freedom and reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.
Media also use this day as remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in their line of duty.
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The 2024 WPFD was celebrated under the theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”
The theme focuses on the challenges journalists face in the face of the environmental crisis, including preventing and protecting journalists, ensuring freedom of expression, scientific research, and access to information,
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Others were combating disinformation through journalism and promoting media plurality, diversity, and viability
WPFD celebrations were first officially proclaimed during the United Nations General Assembly in Windhoek Namibia 1993. The call for international calendar to observe the importance of media freedom was originally made at a meeting in Namibia when African journalists convened in partnership with UNESCO in 1991.
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In Uganda, the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) with its partners; the Uganda Media Women Association (UMWA), Uganda Journalists Union (UJU), Entertainment Journalists Association of Uganda (EJAU), Media Challenge Initiative (MCI), Church of Uganda Media Association (CHOUMA), My Tree Initiative (MTI) and MPS from the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Media (UPFM), they celebrated in line with the theme, with an objective of advancing the press freedom and as well as advocating for the pivotal role of journalism in environmental conservation and other aspects such as
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Democracy, good governance, patriotism, human rights, socio economic transformation, development. Through various organized activities, the initiative seeks to push for the government, development partners and other stakeholder’s recommitment to the ideals of press freedom and those highlighted aspects
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As usual , the Journalist Body (UJA) used the platform to advocate for support for constitutionalization of the concept of the Fourth Estate like is it with the three arms of the government; Executive, Parliament and Judiciary respectively.
Speaking during the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) commemoration joint press conference on Friday 3 May at Speke Hotel in Kampala, UJA president Mathias Rukundo noted that journalists are often referred to as members of the Fourth Estate which is a lip service since it lacks reflection in the Ugandan constitution.
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It is against that background that the concept was developed by UJA based on a successful study with Ghana where it has successfully yielded according to Rukundo.
He said the draft concept which can help the country realize a positive development agenda will be presented to parliament for consideration.
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The Uganda Journalists Association’s president also used the commemoration to request for creation of the media fund to help with complementing journalists’ noble services like it has been done in other countries.
Citing the 4 cases of the detained and tortured journalists Julius Tukacungurwa of Umoja News, Moses Lemisa with Vision Group, Paul Mugaba of Delta TV and Ggaliwango with Vision Group in only one of February, and Rukundo decried the persistent harassment of journalists by the police officers with impunity, which undermines journalists’ safety.
Stephen Ouma, the secretary General of Uganda Journalists Union (UJU), demanded for police report into the mysterious death of 7 journalists including the former UJA president Robert Kagolo who was gunned down to death at his late brother’s home entrance in Kasengejje- Wakiso district, which has never come out.
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Ouma observed that the exploitation of journalists is as result of the media owners taking advantage over their employees due to absence of a minimum wage in the country, which adversely impacts journalism professional standards.
The senior principal grade one magistrate and secretary general Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA) His Worship Martin Kirya observed that Ghana has a full chapter in its constitution that provides for journalism, something that if was championed by the law makers in Uganda would be an enebler of buttressing the concept of the Fourth Estate in the constitution.
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He noted that the enjoyment of the press freedom spins around independence, wondering how it can be realized when journalists are not properly facilitated.
Ivan Kigozi Kimuli , the senior Journalists trainer under the Media Challenge Initiative (MCI) expressed fear over the exponential exodus of journalists from the newsrooms for greener pastures abroad and in other sectors which if not urgently addressed, it is likely to destroy the profession.
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Brenda Namata from the Uganda Media Women ‘s Association (UMWA) decried sexual harassment of the female journalists by some employers that has got to stop as it is a violates their rights.
The Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Media (UPFM) chairperson Teddy Nambooze under scored the need for a sectorial minimum wage for journalists as it will answer the outstanding exploitation question.
The environment and climate change scholar Peter Kibuka observed that there was declining media coverage on climate justice and yet it is a hemorrhage that impacts agriculture and economy.
Kibuka urged journalists to utilize data in un covering the realities of the environmental degradation as one way of fostering climate justice.
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The information shadow minister Helen Nakimuli committed to intensify the fight for journalist’s welfare, pledging to rally parliament to approve the media fund to help journalists.
Nakimuli also received a memoranda to the parliament from the UJA president Rukundo, containing journalist’s issues for further handling by the house.
Others challenges
Plight of Journalists in Uganda;
2024 WPFD commemoration was held in the wake of increased challenges against the enjoyment of press freedom as mentioned by UJA President and includes:
1. Persistent Harassment of journalists.
In just one month of February 2024, four journalists were arrested, detained and
tortured by the police officers while in line of duty. These were Julius Tukacungurwa of Umoja News who was arrested for writing against one NRM party official and detained at Jinja road police station for quite long with his work tools; phones and a laptop.
Shamelessly one police officer there acted as an agent for the complainant to keep the journalist in cells. He was later released on bond when UJA intervened with calls for his un conditional release.
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Moses Lemisa with Vision Group was brutally tortured into coma at Mulago-Kapapaali police post by 2 police officers with impunity, who were led by Commissioner John Peter Ematu. He was hospitalized at St Stephen C.O.U Hospital – Mpererwe for many days and he still painfully have psychological and physical marks on his body.
Paul Mugaba of Delta TV and Ggaliwango with Vision Group, were arrested and detained at the Old Kampala police station as they covered a story which was undesired to some senior police officers there. They were also later released following our
Intervention with calls for their release. We feel that such acts pose a serious limitation to the press freedom and must therefore come to an end.
more than 100 hundred journalists have lost employment as of January 2024 and Friday 3 May 2024
2. Exploitation of journalists.
Suffice to note is that, more than 100 hundred journalists have lost employment as of January 2024 and Friday 3 May 2024, arising out of sackings by different media houses and they can now hardly survive with their families. All the multimedia companies in Uganda have sacked journalists citing the economic hardships in the country. Some media houses have altered the employment status of journalists from permanency to casual in violation of contractual obligations, which has adversely impacted the quality of journalism and welfare.
He said economic challenges cannot be used as justification or the sackings since the exploitation of journalists has been going on for quite long with impunity. We feel this has far reaching implications on journalism practice, and therefore must stop.
The line ICT and National Guidance ministry should be put to task to explain why it has not made any remedial intervention in relation to a litany of reports and complaints concerning the plight of journalists that have been drawn to its attention, despite having annual budget from the government.
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UJA pending cases in Court
With the view of the above, we hereby make our humble request to:
1. Court dispose of an application that was filed by the two New Vision journalists Timothy Murungi, Henry Sekanjako and the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) in February 2021, challenging the brutalization of journalists by some UPDF officers while in line of duty at the UN Human Rights offices in Kololo. The petition was filed with the High Court civil division in Kampala against 8 individual officers and the Attorney General but is yet to be determined. This doesn’t suggest to say that we are not aware of the staffing challenges in the judiciary that impact Court services, but we are simply making a humble call with a feel that if a ruling was given around now in that matter, it would help a lot with laying out deterrents against further unprecedented attacks on journalists in future.
2. Parliament to make urgent interventions into the violation of journalist’s economic rights through its lawful duty.
3. His Excellence the President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to fulfil his promise of
Putting money in the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) SACCO like it has
Been done with other professionals as it will alternatively and partly help with
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Addressing the exploitation plight.
In conclusion; we thank all our partners and players in the sector that have embraced our call of working together in pushing for positive reforms in the sector and we strongly believe that together we shall achieve more since unity is power.
He however encourage all journalists to remain united with a common strong voice against any violation of press freedom.
Other activities
The Sunday 5th 2024 organized Media Football Gala is one of our innovative tools that we strongly believe will foster good will and unity amongst the media fraternity and members of the public. We thank media houses, media organizations and non-media organizations that have registered teams for the 2024 WPFD Gala. Fixtures for the Gala on that note will be out anytime from now.
We therefore, call upon all journalists, advocates of press freedom and members of the public including journalists’ well-wishers to turn up in large numbers at City Secondary School near DHL offices -Lugogo by pass in Kampala, this Sunday to support their teams.
’’The Pen is Mightier than the Gun.’’
MATHIAS RUKUNDO, PRESIDENT UJA