ABSTRACT
The study aims at investigating Freedom of Expression and the Media in Uganda especially the level of independence and freedom of thy mass media industry in Uganda. It explores the challenges that media professionals practically go through and face in the process of carrying out media work and practicing their profession in Uganda Secondly, it identifies how both the existing and newly proposed laws impact on the mass media freedom in Uganda while drawing from the domestic, national, regional and international laws. A doctrinal methodology was used in this research. The findings indicate that the mass media in Uganda is still not free as most respondents concurred with what is in the documented reports by HRW, Amnesty International, UI·IRC, IFEX, CPJ, and HRNJ about media censorship in Uganda. A critical analysis of the various media laws in Uganda revealed that they have not been aligned to regional and international standards. The study, recommends among other things· that the Government of Uganda should respect the freedom of expression as laid down under the Constitution, regional and international laws. Secondly, that the media laws in Uganda should be revisited, to meet the regional and international standards by way of repealing clauses that are contrary to the exercise of freedom of expression mass media. A self-regulatory media system should be adopted as a way of ensuring less interference by the government in the regulatory process of freedom of expression.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................ ii
APPROVAL BY THE SUPERVISOR ........................................................................................ iii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................. v
TABLE OF CASES .......................................................................................... : ............................ vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ viii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. " ............... xii
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1
1. 0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Background to the study ............................................................................................................ 3
1.1.1 Recent Events violating freedom of expressing and Media .................................................... 6
1.2 Statement of the problem ........................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Objectives of the study ............................................................................................................... 9
1.3.1 General objective .................................................................................................................... 9
1.3.2 Specific objectives .................................................................................................................. 9
1.4 Research Questions .................................................................................................................... 9
1.4.1 General question ..................................................................................................................... 9
1.4.2 Specific question ........................................................................... ; ......................................... 9
1.5 Research Methodology ............................................................................................................ 10
1.6 Significance of the study .......................................................................................................... 10
1.7 Literature Review ..................................................................................................................... 10
1. 8 Chapter synopsis ...................................................................................................................... 17
viii
CHAPTER TWO ......................................................................................................................... 19
LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK REGULATING FREEDOM OF
SPEECH AND THE MEDIA IN UGANDA .............................................................................. 19
2.0 Introduction ............................................................................ : ................................................. 19
2.1 International legal framework ................................................................................. : ................ 19
2.2 The African Charter on Human Peoples' Rights (ACPHR) .................................................... 20
2.3 Municipal law protection of the right to freedom of expression and the media ...................... 21
2.3.1 Constitutional protection of the right to freedom of expression ........................................... 21
2.3.2 The Press and Journalist Act 1995 (Chapter I 05) ................................................................. 23
2.3.3 The Regulation ofinterception of Communication Act 2010 .............................................. 26
3.3.4 The Penal Code Act, Cap 120 ............................................................................................... 26
2.3.4 The Electronic Media Act 1996 (Chapter 104) ..................................................................... 28
2.3.5 Uganda Communications Act 2013 ······································································:··············· 29
2.3.6 The Anti-Tenorism Act of2002 ........................................................................................... 31
2.3.7 The Access to Information Act (2005) and the Access to Infonnation Regulations 2011 ... 31
2.3.8 The Public Order Management Act, 2013 (POMA) ............................................................. 32
2.4 conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 33
CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 34
THE OBSERVANCE, ENFORCEMENT AND VIOLATION OF FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION AND MEDIA IN UGANDA .............................................................................. 34
3. 0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 34
3.1 Freedom ofinfonnation, curtailed .......................................................................... : ................ 34
3.2 The Laws on Defan1ation ......................................................................................................... 35
3.3 Sedition Laws ........................................................................................................................... 37
3.4 Freedom of the press Denied ................................................................................................... 38
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3.4.1 Attacks and Raids of Media stations ..................................................................................... 38
3.4.2 Injunctions against the Media ............................................................................................... 40
3.4.3 Dismissal, Arrests and Detention of Journalists ................................................................... 40
3.4.4 Political interference with the media .................................................................................... 41
3.5 Self-Censorship and the Media Freedom ................................................................................. 43
3.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 45
CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................ 46
CHALLENGES FACING THE MEDIA IN THE PROCESS OF EXERCISING THE
RIGHT AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN UGANDA .................................................. 46
4.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 46
4.1 Challenges ................................................................................................................................ 46
4.1.1 Regulatmy Mechanisms on the Media .................................................................................. 46
4.1.2 Safety and Security of Journalists ......................................................................................... 50
4.1.3 Criminal Charges against Journalists .................................................................................... 51
4.1.4 Criminal Charges against Journalists .................................................................................... 52
4.1.5 Physical Assaults on Journalists ........................................................................................... 53
4.1.6 Closures of Radio Stations ..................................................................................................... 55
4.1.7 The Impact of the Media Ownership on Media .................................................................... 56
4.2 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 58
CHAPTER FIVE .......................................................................................................................... 59
REFORMS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................. 59
5. 0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 59
5.1 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 59
5.1.1 Better enforcement of the law concerning freedom of expression ....................................... 59
5.1.2 Self-regulation of the media .................................................................................................. 59
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5.1.3 Embracing of an all-encompassing practice of democracy ................................................... 60
5.2 Specific recommendations ....................................................................................................... 61
5.2.1 To the President, the Government of Uganda, and NRM Officials ...................................... 61
5. 2.2 To the Parliament of Uganda ............................................................................... : ................ 61
5.2.3 To Uganda's Development Partners, particularly the Partners in Democracy Group .......... 62
5.2.4 To the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (including its Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa), the UN Human Rights Council, and the UN
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression ......................................................... 62
5.2.4 To Uganda's Various Journalists' Associations ................................................................... 62
5.3 Refonns .................................................................................................................................... 63
5.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 64
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 65