Journalists' case against UCC pushed to May 15

LYDIA NABAWANDA

Hearing of an interim injunction application in which the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) seeks to halt a directive by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to media houses to suspend 39 journalists failed to take -off  yesterday.

This was after the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) lawyer Abudl -Salaam Waiswa asked for more time to adequately respond to UJA's application that he said was filed and served to his client yesterday.

According to Waiswa, the only available response on court file was that this is a case where two lawyers used UCC for similar orders.

However after a brief meeting between the lawyers at court, it was agreed that the two cases should be consolidated since the petitioners have a common interest.

"The matter involves two parties with the same cause so this should be joined into one case and return on the date I will give you so that we can hear you all out," said Justice Lydia Mugambe.

Mugambe set 15th May as a date for hearing the interim injunction that UJA seeks. ‘

Waiswa has however  told court that no journalist had been sacked as UJA alleges.

"The journalists were only told to step down but not fired from their jobs since UCC does not have that right,’’ Waiswa said.

The media houses affected include; Radio Simba Akaboozi FM,BBS TV,Beat FM, Bukedde tv,Capital FM, CBS FM, Kingdom TV, NBS TV, NTV, Peal FM, Salt TV, and Radio Serpienca.