Museveni Labels Media as “Enemies” Amid Rising Assaults on Ugandan Journalists

Freshly inaugurated for another five-year term, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has publicly criticized both local and international media, labeling them as “enemies” while local journalists protest against brutal assaults and harassment by security forces.

In a statement to the media  , President Museveni criticized the media for covering anti-government ‘walk to work’ protests, organized by the opposition to draw attention to the government’s failure to address soaring food and fuel prices amid unchecked public spending.

Museveni specifically targeted outlets like Al-Jazeera, BBC, NTV, and The Daily Monitor, saying, “The media houses that cheer on these irresponsible people are enemies of Uganda’s recovery and they will have to be treated as such.” He further accused them of neglecting to report the negative activities of opposition elements.

Museveni has previously blamed journalists for negative reporting and criticized them for not highlighting positive developments in Uganda. Following the president’s recent comments, the outgoing Minister for Information, Kabakumba Masiko, warned on BBC’s Network Africa program that Ugandan laws would be revised to handle any journalist behaving as an “enemy of the state.” She criticized media houses for allegedly inciting people and portraying Uganda as ungovernable.

Early last year, Masiko presented a proposed Press and Journalist Amendment Bill to the Cabinet, which would create the new offense of “economic sabotage.” The proposed law would empower the Media Council, the statutory regulator, to revoke the licenses of any media houses publishing material deemed to constitute economic sabotage. However, the bill lacks a clear definition of this offense and proposes up to two years of imprisonment for violations. The bill has faced criticism from media organizations and human rights groups, urging the government to abandon it.

Journalists and commentators have suggested that recent attacks by security forces on journalists were encouraged by the president’s hostile attitude towards the media. One journalist commented on Facebook, “Now we know why the security agents whipped journalists covering Dr. Besigye’s procession. Going by President Museveni’s description of the media as ‘enemies of Uganda’s recovery’… the relentless whipping could only have been sanctioned by an order ‘from above’.”

Journalists have refused a government request to lift a media blackout on covering official government, police, and army events. In a meeting on May 16 between the Minister of Defense, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, and journalists at army headquarters, journalists threatened to walk out and demanded meaningful dialogue with more government officials at a neutral venue where they could speak freely.

Around 10 journalists were openly beaten by security operatives while covering opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s return from Nairobi on the day of Museveni’s inauguration. The journalists also had their equipment confiscated, with the recorded data later deleted.

During the meeting, journalists insisted on a written apology from the government for the treatment of journalists covering Besigye’s return and demanded the government commit to stopping the harassment of journalists and punishing officers responsible for the violence. They presented video evidence to Kiyonga of the officers involved in the attacks.

Journalists requested the presence of top security officials at future meetings, including the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, the Minister of Security, Amama Mbabazi, and the commander of the military police. Under pressure from journalists threatening to leave, Kiyonga agreed to postpone the meeting and reschedule for a more productive discussion.