UCC Trying to Gag the Media over Gen Sejusa – Opposition

The opposition has today hit back at the Uganda Communications Commission for what it calls stinging attacks on the media on how it has reported General David Sejusa’s news developments.
 
Wafula Ogutu MP, Bukholi and media owner, says it’s unfortunate that among the several government functionaries and institutions is the media regulator.

Ogutu wondered what crime the media has committed in reporting comments made by the now estranged coordinator of national intelligence services.

Early this week UCC released a caution statement that broadcasts by some media houses on the events surrounding Gen. Sejusa’s letter to the Director General of Internal security have not been professional and impartial.

Wafula questioning this demanded that UCC should give concrete examples of abuses by the media including alleged partiality.

Three Daily monitor journalists have been undergoing interrogation since Tuesday this week at the Criminal Investigations Department in Kibuli. It is alleged that the police are demanding that they disclose their sources of information.

He maintains that the media has broken no law and the government should stop intimidating them and forcing them to unconstitutionally disclose their sources of information.

The Bukholi MP adds that otherwise let the Minister of Information Mary Karoro Okurut and the UCC tell the media the names of individuals who must be reported on or quoted in their outlets and for what reasons.

He urged the media to be firm and not allow anybody to intimidate them but enjoy media freedom and not let their space to be infringed upon lying down.

Human Rights Lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuzi argues that the fight between government and the media is a clear indication that government has egg on its face.

Rwakafuzi goes on to say that for General Sejusa to come out and publicly disclose about the Muhoozi Project, if true, shows that President Yoweri Museveni is acting unconstitutionally. The only way government can run away from the bad light is to gag the media with hope that it stops writing about the matter and eventually dies out of the public sphere.