The Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) convened a high-impact training for journalists under the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA), focusing on public policy interpretation, budget analysis and accountability reporting.
The session aimed to equip media professionals with sharper tools to interrogate policy and public finance processes, strengthening oversight through informed reporting.
Faith Okaka Uwizeye, an officer at CEPA, opened the session by emphasizing the media’s civic duty to translate complex policy debates into information that the public can easily understand.
Effective journalism must be more than headlines, urging journalists to approach public stories with both technical curiosity and ethical clarity, she said.
Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa, who facilitated the training, clarified what he described as a common misconception about governance roles.
Policy making is an executive function, not a legislative one, though Parliament plays different oversight roles, Basalirwa said. He added that good policy reporting begins before a policy is formally drafted.
What precedes a policy are problem concerns and these discussions are what eventually crystallize into policy, he noted.
Basalirwa also stressed the importance of accountability coverage, advising journalists to read the Auditor General’s Report and attend Accountability Committees to strengthen their reporting on public expenditure.
Samuel Ibanda Mugabi, President of UPPA, emphasized credibility and balance in parliamentary reporting.
Let’s balance and be fair while reporting, Mugabi said, urging journalists to resist sensationalism and institutionalize verification standards in coverage of parliamentary proceedings.
The training comes amid growing calls for more rigorous media scrutiny of public finance management and legislative oversight processes, positioning parliamentary reporters as key actors in promoting transparency and accountability.
