Seventeen local radio stations are on the brink of shutdown for failing to acquire the necessary operating licenses as the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) intensifies its efforts to regulate the broadcasting sector. This move, according to UCC, is in a bid to uphold the laws of the land in relation to broadcasting services in the country and protect the interests of the media.

While addressing journalists on Monday, October 21, 2024, at the police headquarters in Naguru, the UCC spokesperson, Ibrahim Bbosa, revealed that the stations in question, which are mostly found around Masaka, Mubende, and Luweero, have continued to broadcast illegally despite earlier warnings and cease-and-desist notices issued earlier this year.

Bbosa noted that illegal transmission is not only an infringement of the law but also a great danger of transmission of high levels of disinformation and agitation of the public on order issues.

“The UCC is determined to uphold the standards set forth in the Uganda Communications Act of 2013, which mandates that all broadcasting entities must possess valid licenses to operate. These illegal operations undermine the credibility of licensed broadcasters and can mislead audiences,” he noted.

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He further revealed that the commission will publicly release the names of non-compliant stations once enforcement actions are complete.

The ongoing effort forms part of a wider strategy that seeks to strengthen the regulatory framework as well as protect Ugandan audiences against unregulated content. Of late, UCC has intensified efforts against illegal stations, effectively shutting numerous radio stations for similar offenses.