The Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, has cautioned security officers against harassing journalists, stating that they should observe respect for journalists and forge a way of partnering and working together.

While delivering his remarks on the celebrations of the International Day for Universal Access to Information, which took place on September 26, 2024, Baryomunsi urged the security to work with the media, stating that both their duties are crucial for the well-being of a country.

“The security team should do capacity building where their officers are taught how to work in harmony with the journalists. The same should be done for the journalists; they should be trained on how to act professionally while on duty. There could be some officers who misbehave, but also there are some journalists who provoke the officers. They should forge a way of working together,” he stated.

When asked what the government is doing about the accessibility of information by the public and media, Baryomunsi stated that the government is improving accessibility of information in many ways, including training more practitioners on information accessibility.

“The Government, through the Uganda Broadcasting Cooperation (UBC), has introduced the Front Page show starting September 30, 2024, where Ministers and their Permanent Secretaries will teach and clarify to the public what their ministries do. We are also expanding the digital infrastructure to the national backbone infrastructure for more connectivity on the Internet. The government will also reduce the cost of the Internet,” he added.

This follows multiple complaints from media practitioners about being unable to access information from various government agencies, as well as ongoing harassment of journalists in their field of work by security agents.