President Yoweri Museveni has asked the Ugandan media to focus its attention on the developmental of the country
“There is a negative thinking that the interest of the media is different from those of the state, but we share a common interest with the media,” the president said in a speech read on his behalf by Information Minister Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi.
”We need to transform our communities from primitive models of production to a modern industrial people,” Mr Museveni added.
Muhwezi was speaking at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu on Saturday during celebrations to mark Mega FM’s 13th anniversary. Mega FM is a leading radio station in northern Uganda.
In the speech, the president said the media in Uganda behaves as if it is not part of collective experience of the society in which it operates.
“The question is, can’t the media and state appreciate each other’s roles and work together for the good of the country? Both of us know our values as a nation more than anyone else,” said Museveni.
The president advised that the media should focus on developmental issues like education instead of being an ‘‘agent of confusion.’’
“We are all players in the field of development of our country,’’ the president said of the media and the state.
The president blamed the media for not giving adequate coverage for the tourism industry stating that Uganda has many game parks and wild animals can attract tourists to the country.
However Robert Ssempala of the Uganda Human Rights Network for Journalists said the media in Uganda has contributed to unearthing corruption in Museveni’s government and creating awareness among citizens.
“Mr Museveni’s speech is in a way trying to belittle the contribution the media which has provided for the country. It shows that there is still clear lack of understanding between the state and the press,’’ Ssempala said.
Uganda has relative freedom of the press but the country’s media can’t be described as free with many cases of attacks registered against journalists and media houses
This week, Human Rights Watch, the global rights body, released statement calling on the Uganda government should ensure freedom of assembly and the press during the ongoing presidential campaigns. The rights body said it had documented cases of attacks on the media.
”Radio journalists, especially those outside Kampala, report well-entrenched patterns of threats and harassment by local government officials and, in some instances, police, particularly after hosting the opposition or criticizing government programs,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement released early this week.
