Human rights network for journalists, HRNJ-Uganda, a media rights body has condemned a gag order on media live broadcast of parliamentary proceedings issued by the Ugandan Communications commission, UCC this week.
UCC put a gag order on live reporting and coverage on Tuesday evening, after major TV stations broadcast the proceedings of parliament that ended in violence.
UCC director Godfrey Mutabaazi in a statement that evening, said the broadcasts were discriminative and inciting to the public. He therefore instructed all Radio and TV stations to refrain from such coverage.
“The commission here by directs all broadcasted to immediately stop and refrain from broadcasting live feeds which are in breach of minimum standards and best practice guidelines for electronic media coverage/reporting and broadcasting live events” Mutabaazi wrote.
On Wednesday, all radio and TV stations adhered to the directive, as none went live. Instead, live videos were broadcast on facebook, indicating violence in the house.
It is upon this basis, that Robert Ssempala, the HRNJ-U National Coordinator explained that coverage of parliamentary proceedings in no way against the law, considering it is not pornography or infringing on anyone’s rights.
Ssempala says media freedom should be of concern to all Ugandans that cherish free expression, flow of information, and media rights.
“Freedom of the press is a constitutional right which must be jealously protected, upheld and unreservedly respected by all law abiding citizens including the president, UCC, Uganda police and the army” Ssempala said
