By Nassiwa Hanifah Samula
Uganda Parliamentary Press Association has responded to the Uganda communications commission Executive Director Godfrey Mutabazis directives to suspend producers,heads of news,and programmes in various media houses which include NBS TV,BBS TV,NTV,Bukedde TV,CBS FM,Kingdom TV,Salt TV among others which they call acts of madness.
Durring press briefing at parliament , Mr Moses Mulondo said ,given the professional background of Mr Godfrey Mutabazi an electrical engineer,he has no capacity whatsoever to regulate the media and they have called upon the appointing Authority to relieve him of such a duty and put some body else who is qualified in the field of journalism.
According to the journalists media freedom is the absence of external control and influence on the institution or individual working in the media but this has become difficult in Uganda for journalists who cover opposition events and they have called on to the government to start respecting the rights of journalists.
“This country is not your father’s land”,says the president of Uganda Parliamentary Press Association Moses Mulondo who has been bitter towards Mr Godfrey Mutabazis directives which he called acts of madness. Mulondo has called upon civil society entities,government entities and religious leaders to come out and condemn these injustices towards the media fraternity.
Mulondo further says,with all the above incidents,the country is slowly sinking into an abyss of autocratic and dictatorial practices which undermine democracy and violate the rights of Ugandans.With only a few hours left to celebrate the world press freedom day which is due tomorrow, some news producers and director’s jobs are on the line after airing news about the kyadondo East Mp Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobiwine on the 29th of April 2019
