Parliament Donates 2.5bn Radio Transmission Equipment to UBC.
Parliament has closed its stalled radio station which was started by the former speaker Rebecca Kadaga and donated 2.5bn in equipment to Uganda Broadcasting Corporation – UBC.
While handing over the equipment today, the speaker of Parliament Anita Among noted that broadcasting is not of parliament’s business.
Speaker Among said that the donation is part of the Parliament of Uganda’s corporate social responsibility but above all a recognition that the national broadcaster needed to set the pace in the industry.
In 2018, Parliament under the leadership of Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga in partnership with support from UNDP embarked on the project to start its own radio station to amplify its public reach. However, after installing equipment and interviewing candidates to operate the FM station, the project stalled as the August house failed to secure a frequency to operate in Kampala.
Kadaga blamed the failure to secure the frequency to UBC which she accused of protesting the reallocation of the 98.0 FM frequency which UCC had given to parliament. The frequency had been hosting the UBC RED channel, which covers Kampala and the central region. The story of the stalled parliament radio has come to an end today as parliament donated equipment to the government’s official broadcaster UBC.
According to the Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesigye Kasaija, the parliamentary commission found the radio project less important to the House as it does not form part of the core functions of the national assembly.
Equipment donated to UBC includes two transmitters, a standby generator, and UPS among others. While handing over the package, the speaker of parliament Anita Among urged UBC management to use the equipment to enhance their capacity.
Among used the event to remind journalists of their responsibility to adhere to ethical standards while reporting issues around parliament.
She also urged broadcasters to review the content output to ensure the public gets the best value from what is broadcasted.
The Parliament Radio was expected to communicate the activities of Parliament with coverage in several parts of Uganda.
