By Ian Katusiime The government of Uganda is intimidating and threatening journalists and activists in an effort to limit criticism of the government ahead of the Feb 18 presidential elections, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said in a report released on Jan 11. HRW is an international human rights body …
Read More »Kigali’s media freedom woes
By Andrew M. Mwenda How the discourse on press freedom in Rwanda has missed the promising developments in that country Last week I attended President Paul Kagame’s lecture at Chatham House in London. It was without the usual hecklers i.e. mindless anti-Kagame fanatics. It attracted the more refined minds of …
Read More »US media bias against Kagame
By Andrew M. Mwenda Why American media should listen to the views of Rwandans about freedom in their country A month before the Africa-America Summit in Washington DC, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda shuffled his prime minister (who was from the same Rwanda Patriotic Front political party as the president) …
Read More »Ugandan media aiding militarization
By Jude Kagoro Journalists are doing their country a disservice by knowingly or unknowingly marketing the militarization of politics Oftentimes, political commentators in Uganda make a claim that there is militarization in the country. To the commentators, the nuances intended to be captured in the usage of the concept largely …
Read More »Media clampdown, human rights and succession
By Peter Nyanzi Prof. Frederick Jjuuko heads the Department of Law and Jurisprudence and is a professor of Media Law at Makerere University. He spoke to The Independent’sPeter Nyanzi about the ongoing standoff between the government and the media. Were you surprised by the action of the government to close …
Read More »U.S. Gov’t launches exchange program for media staff
By Julius Odeke The Government of the United States of America has launched an exchange program for Media Professionals from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and the United States. The Secretary General for Uganda Journalists Union (UJU) Stephen Bwire Ouma says the program is a four-part, two-way media program run by …
Read More »Kayihura warns against reckless media statements
By Sarah Namulondo The IGP of police Gen Kale Kayihura has warned individuals against making reckless statements to the media about the mysterious death of Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda. Kayihura told off individuals who have been making such statements to stop because it undermines police investigations. He said several …
Read More »Media challenged on anti-corruption fight
By Victor Bwire Most of the reports now being discussed in Parliament relating to corruption have been lying in newsrooms As the demand for accountability in the use of public resources in Uganda intensifies, with parliamentarians on top of the efforts, one wonders how Ugandans will be mobilised to join …
Read More »Should defending media be left to foreign activists?
By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi I recently moved from New York to Nairobi to protect you better; to be closer to you,” declared Tom Rhodes of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) at a press briefing at Hotel Africana on September 23. Rhodes was part of an international joint mission on …
Read More »How Andrew Mwenda was arrested
By The Independent Team In our continuing series ‘Terror Arrests’, we report the arrest of The Independent Managing Editor, Mr Andrew Mwenda. On the morning of Saturday April 26 this year, as The Independent’s managing editor drove from his home along Golf Course Road in Kololo, two suspicious cars, one in …
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