Uganda media ordered to boost coverage of president
What you need to know:
- Media rights activists said the order would be challenged.
- Ken Lukyamuzi, an opposition leader, said the directive was “absurd”.
KAMPALA
Radio and television stations in Uganda were on Friday ordered to provide live coverage of major events involving the country’s veteran President Yoweri Museveni, prompting protests by activists and the opposition.
The Uganda Communications Commission, a state-controlled body, told local broadcasters they were subject to “licensing conditions issued by the commission, whereby all broadcast stations are expected to provide live coverage of major national events and addresses” by the president.
The directive said other events to be covered live included the “pronouncement of (a) national emergency or disaster, security threats or any event… that necessitates the entire public to have simultaneous access to the information.”
The commission said it will be “monitoring this coverage,” and that “non-compliant stations will be penalised”, without specifying.
Media rights activists said the order would be challenged. “This is a draconian directive,” said Geoffrey Ssebaggala, head of Uganda’s Human Rights Network of Journalists.
“The commission wants to turn media into a government propaganda mouthpiece. We are in consultations with media houses to reject this directive.”
Ken Lukyamuzi, an opposition leader, said the directive was “absurd”.
“We have always said we are heading for total dictatorship and these directives are part of that,” he said. “Museveni is targeting the media to promote his candidacy with the general elections around the corner”.
