Press freedom violations to worsen next year 2026-Politicians warn.

The leader of the opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, has asked the international community, like the European Union, to join religious leaders in taking stock of the ongoing human rights violations and narrowing the space of media freedom in the country.

Giving a keynote address to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, Ssenyonyi challenged members of the diplomatic core to hold President Museveni and the CDF General Muhoozi Kainerugaba regarding the ongoing human rights violations against individuals and journalists in the country.

He alluded that ambassadors have been seen meeting Mr. Museveni and General Muhoozi, and one wonders whether they talk about these critical things since they fund this government. He added that as leaders they are concerned about the human rights violations that are occasioned on the people of Uganda.

“Next week is the EU Day and EU ambassadors in Uganda are going to be meeting to celebrate this day. And we understand they have invited General Muhoozi as one of the special guests. Really? It’s not in our place to tell ambassadors and diplomats what to do when they come to our country. But I think this will be seen as a mockery to the people of Uganda. Because this is somebody who is torturing citizens and goes on social media to celebrate”-Ssenyonyi

Kira municipality MP Ssemujju Nganda asked the media practitioners that they should better prepare for the coverage of the 2026 general election and not to give up on their role of reporting.

“Those who want to cover the next general elections objectively should begin not by training. I have covered the elections, gone to Nairobi for training, but this time first prepare your will, prepare your family, because you may not live, you may not see life after elections. Elections that are presented over by the military are brutal and violent. You saw them when they came here in 2020. This county now is in charge of General Muhoozi, who can pick people and then he will post the pictures on twitter, saying that I have shaved them, now I am going to castrate them”-Ssemujju warned.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), is considering legal action against security personnel who violated journalists during the Kawempe by-elections.

Condemning the Kamwepe by-elections beatings, Joseph Beyanga, the National Association of Broadcasters Chief Executive Officer pledged continued engagement with authorities to protect press freedoms but also did not rule out taking the legal option.

Beyanga, also Power FM’s Managing Director, urged media houses to unite and speak with one voice in defending their rights and not to lose focus on Uganda’s future as the bigger picture especially as the country prepares for the general elections.

“Immediately after whatever happened in Kawempe, we had engagements. When I say we, I mean NAB and others, with the Ministry of ICT, with the Minister of Internal Affairs. We’ve written to other stakeholders, We are not stopping there, we intend to take them to court. The security forces, the individuals and all the actors who are on the ground., we intend to take them to court because one, the people who were beaten deserve justice and two we must stop recurrence of these violations in our country”-Beyanga said.

On behalf of the government, Government Chief Whip Denis Obua acknowledged the issues facing media freedom but emphasized the importance of remembering Uganda’s historical struggles.

He stressed that understanding the past is vital in shaping the future of press freedom and democracy in the country.

“Ugandans, we seem to over concentrate on where we are right now without looking at where we came from or where we are coming from. Because what we are uncertain about is the future. But at least we are certain about the past and where we are. There is a need for us to get time. We sit and talk about our past. Now when we emphasize where we are without looking at where we are from because we must be posing questions. At the time this country had a crisis, would the journalists of the time gather like we are gathered today? And they talk about the challenges that is our past”-Obua said

Comments

comments