Tension as Media is Threatened, Daily Monitor, Red Pepper, KFM and Dembe FM remain closed.

By Teddy Namayanja, PRO

 

Ugandans have still woken up to a grim reality of the second day without News  from their leading independent daily,  Monitor Publications and leading tabloid Red pepper as they still remain closed by government over allegations that the purported letter of the planned attack on the “Muhoozi Project”  is hidden somewhere in their premises.

It is no secret that the fans of KFM’s – the Mighty Breakfast Morning Talk Show and Dembe’s Big Size Morning Show will have to wait a little longer  to wake up to their favorite shows. Today is the second day since the radio waves were switched off.

If you have to read about anything from a daily newspaper as of now, you will have no choice but to get yourself a copy of the government owned news papers – the New Vision, Bukedde and others. Luckily enough, if you want more  information about the Gen.Sejusa saga, there is the Observer for you to consult but who knows how long it will survive before government gets its iron hand on this publication.
 

As human rights activists, we continue to condemn in the strongest terms possible the manner in which the media has come under all sorts of attack from government not only over the Gen. Sejusa saga but also the other unfortunate scenes we have witnessed in the recent past. In the same way, we continue to demand that the media houses recently cordoned off and shut down be opened immediately.
 

Even as Government through the Information Minister Mary Karoro Okurut and Police Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba contend that “the police is working within the parameters of the law and they will continue to search media houses until they have obtained all the information they require”, they should be reminded that the media are also working within the law and that if their sources preferred anonymity, no one can therefore force them to disclose these sources because this is a right provided for in the law.
 

The views of one of the most senior military figure in the country after President Museveni himself, Gen. Elly Tumwiine that Gen. Sejusa should be allowed to tell his side of the story other than rushing to condemn him and open war against him should be considered.

Instead of Government turning arms against Media and subjecting them to all sorts of harassment, the role played by the Media should actually be recognized in bringing this crucial information of national security to their concern. There is no harm in Government working with Media peacefully to obtain whichever information they need.

In fact, Government now more than ever needs to check its intelligence system because it seems to be losing control over its own.
 

It is also worrying that the Uganda Communication Commission threatens to withdraw all licenses of Media Houses that are alleged to be publishing impartial information. What do they mean by impartial information in the Gen.Sejusa saga? The media did not author this letter for their information.
 

Bottom line, Government has to realize that its actions against Media are not only going to affect the commercial sales of these dailies’ but also many innocent Ugandans whose  family heads are employed by these respective Media Houses.
 

God forbid but if the calamity that befell CBS Radio in 2009 over the Kayunga riots befalls Monitor, Red Pepper, Dembe FM and KFM, thousand s of families are likely to go without food while many school going children will not be able to join the rest of their colleagues as the second term opens next week on Monday 27th May 2013.