Journalists Face Intensified Persecution Amid Political Unrest in Uganda

Recent political unrest in Uganda has placed the nation in the international spotlight, particularly with the arrest of opposition leader Bobi Wine and a surge in violent attacks on journalists covering the subsequent events. Despite global condemnation, journalists in Uganda report that these incidents are part of a broader pattern of increasing assaults on media freedom.

The latest wave of violence against journalists began during a parliamentary by-election in Arua, a town near the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On August 13, the chaotic campaigning culminated in the death of Wine’s driver. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, and several opposition MPs were arrested alongside others accused of attacking President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy.

Journalists at the scene faced violence from security forces. Herbert Zziwa and Ronald Muwanga, reporters for NTV, were reporting live when they were assaulted and detained, later being charged with inciting violence and property damage before being released on bond. NBS TV journalist Bakabaage Julius was hit on the head by security forces, while his colleagues John Kibalizi and Benson Ongom were pursued by officers.

In the following days, the detention of opposition figures sparked protests across Uganda, where journalists covering the demonstrations were assaulted by army and police officials. They had their equipment confiscated, and some had their materials deleted.

The assaults drew outrage from the Ugandan media community. Robert Ssempala, director of the Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda), highlighted the deteriorating media environment. “The situation is deteriorating by the day. It all seems to criminalize the work of journalists,” he said. Daniel Kalinaki, an executive editor at the Nation Media Group, emphasized that the attacks against the press are part of a long-standing campaign to suppress independent media in Uganda.

The Ugandan army later issued an apology, but only after HRNJ-Uganda threatened nationwide protests and boycotts. Despite assurances that the perpetrators would be held accountable, new attacks against journalists occurred soon after, including the beating of NBS TV photojournalist Joshua Mujunga.

Attacks on journalists in Uganda are not new. In 2017, HRNJ-Uganda recorded 113 violations of press freedom, mostly perpetrated by the police. Ssempala noted that this year the attacks have become more severe, with journalists being kidnapped to intimidate them from reporting on certain issues. Stanley Ndawula, editor of the online publication Investigator, was recently kidnapped and interrogated by security agents after publishing a story critical of the government.

Uganda’s political unrest intensified following the contested 2016 presidential election and debates on amending the Constitution to remove the presidential age limit. The Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) imposed reporting restrictions, banned live coverage of parliamentary debates, and issued guidelines to prevent media from interviewing dissenting MPs.

The UCC and police have also invoked laws like the Penal Code Act and the Computer Misuse Act to prevent journalists from covering sensitive topics. The latter was used last year to raid Red Pepper after it published a report alleging that Museveni was plotting against the Rwandan president. Red Pepper and other independent media outlets face significant challenges due to this suppression, often resorting to self-censorship to avoid government backlash.

The Ugandan government has also imposed a controversial “social media tax” that limits the public’s access to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, ostensibly to curb “gossiping” and raise state revenue. Critics argue that the real aim is to suppress free expression.

In the face of these challenges, Ugandan journalists call for greater unity to protect press freedom. As Ndawula urges, “I would want the journalists in Uganda and in East Africa to unite and fight for the cause.”