The Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) has asked the President to rescind his directive ring-fencing advertisements from government agencies for state-owned UBC and Vision Group.
UPPA, a body that brings together Journalists covering Parliament, said this during a presser on Monday, July 24, 2023, at Parliament.
Sam Ibanda Mugabi, the UPPA President, described this directive as discriminatory and discourages media liberalization policies by the government.
He adds that all media houses must be given business without discrimination, noting that they have petitioned the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ghoobi.
“As the President of the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association, I have copied the same letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, and Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, among others,” Ibanda said.
He added that UBC TV and the televisions attached to Vision Group only employ a very small percentage of journalists in this country, so such a directive will not benefit other journalists.
“If you say those entities are the only ones to be given business, then it means even mass communication schools are going to close because they will have nowhere to go after journalism school,” he added.
Recently, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) threatened to boycott broadcasting government events until President Yoweri Museveni revoked his directive.
President Museveni is due to meet members of the National Association of Broadcasters on August 10th to resolve the standoff.
