Museveni is taking East Africa back to the dark days of slavery

By Fred Makana

Nairobi, Kenya: The broad daylight raid by Ugandan police on KFM, Dembe FM and The Monitor offices in Kampala is a backward step in the realisation of a political federation within the East Africa Community (EAC).

No government can underrate the media’s oversight role and Uganda is no exception. Any attempt by Ugandan authorities to muzzle the media is ill-advised especially in the wake of the social media where information spreads like a wildfire.

 In recent years President Yoweri Museveni’s administration has been on the spotlight over its threats to journalists and media houses over his succession contest. It is within the right of any Ugandan to question the future of Uganda and this should not warrant a crackdown on the media.

How can police ransack, disable equipment and threaten staff over alleged forgery of a mere signature? It is time for Uganda to emulate the EAC neighbours by giving the media the freedom it deserves.

It is also shameful that Uganda still ranks among the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists to work. If the Uganda government truly supports the spirit of EAC it must abandon such tactics that are likely to scare investors in the media industry.

To make matters worse, this is the second time operations at these offices have been paralysed by a government that is supposed to safeguard media freedom. 

For Uganda to attain meaningful development the incumbent government must be ready to be criticised for any wrong-doing. In this time and age, the use of police to silence the media is an autocratic and old-fashioned tactic, which a responsible government must not use. With all government resources at its disposal, Ugandan authorities should have instituted investigations rather than raid a media house.

With such threats to media freedom, then the dream of merging the East African Community into a borderless entity remains a pipe dream for journalists to work.

It beats logic as to why Ugandan authorities are keen on silencing the media when her neighbours are striving to open up the democratic space that guarantees media freedom.

Uganda’s media freedom is vital, not only for its own citizens, but the entire East Africa region now that we are headed for a political federation.

Such backward actions are against the spirit of the East Africa Community, which seeks to open up borders for journalists to work across the region. Government must not trip the few strides it is making towards media freedom and democracy.