By Jane Nafula
The Uganda Editors’ Guild (UEG) has said the media will boycott government press briefings in protest against what they described as an unconstitutional directive on government advertising.
In a statement issued July 24, the editors said the arbitrary and ‘unconstitutional’ directive issued by President Museveni on March 6, 2023, and further reinforced by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance on July 10, 2023, is detrimental to media freedom and the equitable distribution of public funds.
The contentious directive mandates all government advertising to be channeled solely through the government-owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and print media through the New Vision.
“In light of the aforementioned concerns, the Uganda Editor’s Guild announces the following actions: Government Press Briefing Boycott until a resolution is reached, the media will boycott government press briefings in protest against the unconstitutional directive on government advertising,“ the statement reads in part.
The editors said the presidential directive is in violation of the liberalized economic trajectory adopted by Uganda in the 1990s, where public agencies are expected to compete fairly with the private sector for revenue and government business.
According to the press release, Article 40(2) of the Constitution of Uganda grants every individual the right to practice their profession and carry on lawful occupations, trade, and business.
The editors urged the government to abandon the directive and seek alternative solutions that promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in the allocation of government advertising funds and also engage with the concerned authorities.
They demanded for continued engagement between stakeholders in the media industry and the government to address these pressing issues and find a constructive way forward.
Members also suggested that a number of critical issues should be addressed during the forthcoming meeting that is expected to be held between the Executives of the National Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the President, slated for August 10, 2023.
According to the statement, some of the issues that should be resolved during this meeting include; discrimination and unconstitutionality of the directive, monopoly and fair competition, rights of journalists and media professionals as well as transparency and accountability.
