Human Rights Watch calls on government to reverse its ban on speech and demonstrations linked to trial of opposition candidate
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a 23 November 2005 Human Rights Watch press release: Uganda: Political Repression Accelerates U.S. Should Cut Relations With Government Forces Who Stormed Courthouse (New York, November 23, 2005) – The Ugandan government should reverse its ban on speech and demonstrations linked to the trial of the main opposition candidate for […]
Police raid newspaper at the end of a week of harassment
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has called on the Ugandan government to come to its senses after a week of police harassment of the independent “Daily Monitor” newspaper, culminating in a spectacular raid on its premises on the night of 17 November 2005, all of which were part of the government’s efforts to neutralise support […]
Government threatens to close independent daily
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 15 November 2005 CPJ press release: UGANDA: Government threatens to close independent daily New York, November 15, 2005-The government has threatened to close Uganda’s leading independent daily The Monitor over a story about President Yoweri Museveni’s first choice for army chief. Conrad Nkutu, managing director of The Monitor, told […]
Radio KFM back on the air, but producer dismissed
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has hailed the Broadcasting Council’s 18 August 2005 decision to allow Radio KFM back on the air, but voiced concern over the upcoming trial of KFM journalist Andrew Mwenda for sedition and the dismissal of Angelo Izama, the producer of Mwenda’s radio programme. “It is reassuring to see that the talks begun […]
CPJ condemns sedition charge against radio talk show host
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 15 August 2005 CPJ press release: UGANDA: CPJ condemns sedition charge against radio talk show host New York, August 15, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces the sedition charge brought today against radio talk show host Andrew Mwenda for remarks last week on the independent KFM radio […]
Talk show host arrested, facing sedition charges
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: A day after station is shut, Ugandan talk show host is arrested New York, August 12, 2005 – An independent radio and print journalist was arrested today in connection with a talk show focusing on the July helicopter crash that killed southern Sudanese leader John Garang. […]
Radio station ordered closed after show on helicopter crash
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is an 11 August 2005 CPJ press release: Ugandan radio station ordered closed after show on helicopter crash New York, August 11, 2005 – Ugandan authorities shut a prominent independent radio station today after it aired a talk show about the July helicopter crash that killed southern Sudanese leader John Garang, […]
Foreign journalist robbed and arrested by customs officials
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the18 January 2005 arrest and overnight detention of Mohammed Abdullah Ould Memmine, a special envoy for the Arabic-language Iranian television news station Al-Alam. The Mauritanian journalist was arrested when he tried to enter Uganda from Kenya as part of his coverage of an African tour by Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. […]
ARTICLE 19 welcomes Access to Information Bill, but says more work is needed
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 27 May 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release: In a Memorandum released today, ARTICLE 19, Global Campaign for Free Expression, welcomes the Access to Information Bill tabled by the Ugandan Government but signals that more work is needed to bring it in line with international standards. On the whole, […]
Threats to press freedom remain despite striking down of repressive legislation, says CPJ
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 12 February 2004 CPJ press release: UGANDA: Supreme Court strikes down repressive legislation Threats to press freedom remain New York, February 12, 2004-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomes yesterday’s ruling of the Ugandan Supreme Court, which declared unconstitutional a legal provision allowing journalists to be charged with “publishing […]
Supreme Court strikes down law criminalising “false news”
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release: Uganda: Supreme Court strikes out law criminalising ‘false news’ The Ugandan Supreme Court yesterday declared that the offence of ‘publishing false news’ was incompatible with the right to freedom of expression. This means that journalists in Uganda can no longer be charged with “publication […]
Army spokesman accuses two journalists from “The Monitor” newspaper of being “rebel collaborators”
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ press release: IFJ Condemns Spying Allegations Against Journalists in Uganda The International Federation of Journalists vigorously condemned today allegations made by the Ugandan military linking journalists with LRA rebels, raising fears of prosecution under the anti-terror law. “The wild allegations against some of the most prominent journalists in […]
Authorities begin shutting down dozens of broadcasters for non-payment of operating permits
(RSF/IFEX) – The Ugandan authorities have started shutting down dozens of privately-owned media outlets that have not paid for their operating permits. Officials are targeting about 50 broadcasters throughout the country. Four Kampala-based radio stations and one television station were forced to stop broadcasting on 8 January 2004. “It is reasonable for a government to […]
Radio journalist assaulted, media censored
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned renewed threats to press freedom in Uganda. A radio journalist was attacked on 7 December 2003 while covering an opposition meeting and a ban was recently announced on reporting the assets of leading government figures. “The assets of political leaders are a matter of public interest, on which the press […]
Lawyers barred from appearing in the media
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested the Uganda Law Council’s 22 August 2003 ban on lawyers appearing in the media without its permission and called for the measure to be dropped. Law Council Chairman Elijah Wante told the organisation the measure was aimed at preventing lawyers from “misusing the media” and “misleading the public” and that […]
Police close church-owned radio station
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 25 June 2003 CPJ press release: UGANDA: Police close church-owned radio station New York, June 25, 2003-The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that Ugandan authorities have closed the Catholic Church-owned Radio Kyoga Veritas FM, in the northeastern town of Soroti, for airing reports about fighting in the region […]