The Uganda Communications Commission is scheduled to meet broadcast media owners under their umbrella body, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).
UCC in an April 30 communication, ordered a number of media houses including; NBS TV, NTV, Salt TV, BBS TV, Bukedde TV, Kingdom TV, Capital FM, CBS FM, Simba FM, Pearl FM, Akaboozi FM, Beat FM, and Sapientia FM, to suspend their producers, head of news and head of programs or else they risk sanctions prompting NAB to write back to them asking for a reversal of the orders.
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However, in a communication to NAB dated May 3, the communications regulator has agreed to meet the broadcasters in a bid to discuss the matter.
“Reference is made to the above captioned subject and your letter dated May 2, 2019in which you requested for a meeting with Uganda Communications Commission. The commission agrees to meet the executive members of NAB and hereby invites you for a meeting,” reads in part the letter from UCC Executive Director Godfrey Mutabazi.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday May 7, at the UCC headquarters in Bugolobi.
Following the order to suspend 39 journalists from various media houses, a number of people have lashed out to UCC for issuing an order with a detrimental effect on the quality of journalism in the country.
In a statement on Tuesday, NAB Chairman, Kin Kariisa said the directives undermine the quality of journalism and create an environment of fear and threats.
“Abrupt suspension of key staff on orders of UCC will have adverse consequences of weakening standards and controls already established at the media houses and amplify the risk that led to UCC’s intervention in the first place,”Kariisa said in the statement.
On Thursday, two lawyers including Ronald Bwire and Henry Byansi dragged UCC to court over what they termed as a violation of the right to information through the said directives.
“The respondent (UCC) through the aforesaid directives seeks to arbitrarily gag the media, curtail free speech and freedom of expression, impose unconstitutional limitations and blanket bans on the media which are not acceptably and demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society and what is provided for under the Constitution and the law,” the two lawyers said in their petition before the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala.
“The aforesaid directives interfere with editorial freedom and independence of the media by purporting to set arbitrary and unconstitutional standards which are neither enshrined in the Constitution nor in the laws of Uganda generally.”
