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Human Rights Activists warn Govt not to crminalise free expression and speech

The human rights activists say on Jan 7, police arrested Arthur Larok, country director for Action Aid and Leonard Okello an independent activist for distributing anti graft newsletters that catalogued cases of corruption since 2000.  They further named Samuel Balaba Magala of Heart FM who was on Thursday Jan 10 arrested and interrogated by Mubende police for allegedly hosting the Lwemiyaga County MP, Theodore Ssekikubo.

Magala was interrogated for over two hours by the head of political crimes at Mubende Police station, Juma Geoffrey on orders from CID headquarters in Kibuli.

The director Hits FM in Fort Portal, Nulu Byamukama has decided to suspend two talk shows Orukarato and Ekitangazo because that is what government wants. Byamuka told HRN-Uganda early in January.

Byamukama said, “I was first told to adjust the content of the talk shows and broadcast government development projects instead of airing controversial political issues.”  “We are not talking politics anymore,” said Byamukama.

On February 10, the Buganda Kingdom Central Broadcasting Services (CBS) radio suspended hosting critical MPs Betty Nambooze Bakireke (Mukono North) a member from Democratic Party and Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala Central) on a popular show ‘kkiriza oba ggana’ on the orders of the state.

“I received a call just two hours to the programme stopping me from attending the show, they said that the situation was still tense in the country, so they could not host people like me.  The pressure is mounting by the day on all free media; I don’t know any other media house which would accept to host me,” Nambooze is reported to have said.

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