Uganda journalists under pressure after government bans coverage of opposition protests.

Record ID: 103941

  • Title: Uganda journalists under pressure after government bans coverage of opposition protests.
  • Date: 11th May 2016
  • Summary: KAMPALA, UGANDA (MAY 10, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INGRID TURNAWE, FORUM FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (FDC) READING DOCUMENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) INGRID TURNAWE, FORUM FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (FDC) SAYING: "We started non-violent demonstrations which is a right given to us by the constitution of Uganda, the demonstrations were crashed, we were not allowed to assemble, were not allowed to gather, our party headquarters as we speak is under siege, and taken over by police, so if we win elections and we are not declared, we are not given chance to go to court, we are not allowed to demonstrate, assemble, we called for an independent audit, our call was not listened to, our demand has not been given what next, we swear in our president and that is what we are preparing." STREET SCENES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ETYANG CLEMENT, KAMPALA RESIDENT SAYING: "It is autocracy that is now running Uganda, there is nothing like democracy, the media goes ahead and displays what is wrong but somebody who feels that they have touched goes ahead and says we should close, that is part of the leaders who are autocratic." (SOUNDBITE)(English) AMILI SAM, KAMPALA RESIDENT SAYING: "The media is supposed to educate but when you use the media just to upgrade your systems and you don't want negative sides of you to be known, man is supposed to be both sides, negative and positive and you should accept to corrected, the media educates us, the media promotes human rights and makes us aware of the environment around us, when you crack on the media, you are locking us in the house." STREET SCENES
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2016 16:09
  • Keywords: Protests Journalists Media Elections Opposition Inauguration.
  • Location: KAMPALA, UGANDA
  • City: KAMPALA, UGANDA
  • Country: Uganda
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0034HD5SGN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Security has been tightened in Uganda's capital, Kampala ahead of the swearing in of President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday, (May 12) after a contested February election.
    The government has warned journalists not to cover opposition protests and says any media house that violates the order risks losing their license.
    Ugandan journalist, Emmanuel Mutaizibwa works for a local newspaper. He says many of his colleagues are wary of the new directive and view it as threat to media freedom.
    "The media ban has left some kind of chilling effect on we the practitioners, the journalists in many media houses I guess, there is this latent fear that the state is out there watching and if you remember the words of the minister of information Jim Muwhezi, he was very categorical, he said you must be able to supervise yourselves and once you fail that test, the state will then come in," said Mutaizibwa.
    Opposition leader Kizza Besigye's supporters have clashed with police several times in the last few months. Tensions have festered since Museveni won the February election with 60 percent of the vote, extending his 30-year rule by another five-year term.
    Besigye, who got 35 percent, called the vote rigged. EU monitors said it was held in an intimidating atmosphere and the electoral body lacked independence and transparency. Ugandan officials said it was free and fair.
    Officials say they suspect Besigye wants to topple the government through street protests, and he has been kept under virtual house arrest since polling day.
    Besigye, who has challenged Museveni and lost in three previous elections, also challenged the election results in 2001 and 2006.
    Ingrid Turinawe, of Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) says they will swear in Besigye in a parallel ceremony.
    "We started non-violent demonstrations which is a right given to us by the constitution of Uganda, the demonstrations were crashed, we were not allowed to assemble, were not allowed to gather, our party headquarters as we speak is under siege, and taken over by police, so if we win elections and we are not declared, we are not given chance to go to court, we are not allowed to demonstrate, assemble, we called for an independent audit, our call was not listened to, our demand has not been given what next, we swear in our president and that is what we are preparing," Turinawe said.
    On the streets of Kampala, some were critical of the government's decision restricting media coverage of opposition protests.
    "It is autocracy that is now running Uganda, there is nothing like democracy, the media goes ahead and displays what is wrong but somebody who feels that they have touched goes ahead and says we should close, that is part of the leaders who are autocratic," said Etyang Clement, Kampala resident.
    "The media is supposed to educate but when you use the media just to upgrade your systems and you don't want negative sides of you to be known, man is supposed to be both sides, negative and positive and you should accept to corrected, the media educates us, the media promotes human rights and makes us aware of the environment around us, when you crack on the media, you are locking us in the house," added another Kampala resident, Amili Sam.
    Ahead of the election the opposition had tried to tap into mounting anger among young voters, especially in urban areas, where unemployment is high and many are frustrated by the poor state of schools and hospitals.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register