Human Rights Network For Journalists-Uganda: February 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Court sets date to rule on deactivation of SIM-cards in Uganda

Kampala, 27^th/February/2013; The High Court of Uganda will on Friday 1^st March 2013 at 11 O’clock decide on the SIM card deactivation deadline following Human rights Network for Journalists-Uganda and Legal Brains Trust Limited application seeking for an interim order stopping the Uganda Communications Commissions (UCC) and the telecommunication companies from switching off unregistered subscribers. Over 9 million mobile phone subscribers face disconnection if the deadline is not extended.

The application will be heard in Uganda’ Capital Kampala by the Deputy Registrar of the High Court Civil Division, Keitirima John Eudes. UCC and the Attorney General of Uganda have been notified about this development.

HRNJ-Uganda, in its application filed through WEB Advocates and Solicitors on Wednesday February 27, 2013, wants court to issue an interim order of injunction to UCC, its servants or agents from implementing the 1^st March 2013 or any other deadline set for deactivation pending the resolution of the main case which was filed on 7^th February 2013 challenging the registration process. The duo contends that the registration exercise is marred with irregularities, illegalities and anomalies. The main suit will be heard on 20^th of May 2013 by Justice Eldad Mwangusha.

“We are glad that Court has set a date to listen to our prayers and we are hopeful that the order will be granted in order to prevent UCC from switching off innocent mobile phone users and depriving them of their Constitutionally guaranteed property rights and the freedom to freely communicate,” said HRNJ-Uganda’s National Coordinator, Wokulira Ssebaggala.

For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road Mengo Kampala Opp. St. Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala. Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org / humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk / Website: www.hrnjuganda.org; BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com

Journalists’ body petitions parliament over media rights

Human Rights Network for journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) petitioned the Human Rights Committee of Parliament on February 26, 2013 over the dismal working environment for the media in Uganda perpetuated by the high levels of impunity. HRNJ-Uganda wants Parliament to be actively involved in the protection, upholding and promotion of the freedom of expression and information in Uganda. HRNJ-Uganda has documented over 300 cases against journalists since 2009 by both State and non-state actors, but the perpetrators continue to walk scot free. Police has been implicated in most of the cases.

Various recommendations were made to the Committee by the journalists’ body. The Committee Chairperson, Hon. Jovah Kamateeka commended HRNJ-Uganda for being articulate on media rights and freedoms. She pledged that her Committee would analyze the recommendations and take appropriate measures. The recommendations included, putting in place measures to facilitate the visit to Uganda of the Special Rapportuer on freedom of expression and opinion as recommended by the UN Human Rights Council during the review of Uganda, take steps to address the culture of impunity of Human Rights violations by law enforcement officers, encourage and advocate for protection of Human Rights defenders including journalists, and inculcate Human Rights education into the forces’ training curriculum.

Others were; to ensure the independence of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and give it powers to effectively protect human rights as well as monitoring the way it handles cases lodged before it, to ensure that the process of developing the National Action plan is more transparent and fast-tracked so as to have the continued human rights violations controlled, and to implore government to strengthen its human rights mechanisms and continuously update its laws, policies and institutions in the area of protection and promotion of human rights, among others.
“About the visit of the Special Rapportuer, we will remind government. Most of your articulations are spot on and we shall present them to the other members of the committee and arrange for another interface between the full committee and HRNJ-Uganda to further our discussions. ” Kamateeka told the 6-man HRNJ-Uganda team.

She, together with the vice chairperson of the committee, Safia Nalule urged the journalists to act more professionally and carry out thorough research in their work in order to promote responsible journalism.
The HRNJ-Uganda head of Legal affairs, Catherine Anite told the Committee that criminal defamation is still a major challenge in our Law books as it criminalizes what people say consequently curtailing their freedom of expression. She further advocated for self regulation of the media through strengthening of the Independent Media Council of Uganda to weed out unprofessionalism, a move welcomed by the committee.

For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road Mengo Kampala Opp. St. Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala. Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org / humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk /

Website: www.hrnjuganda.org ;BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com

Friday, February 15, 2013

City Mayor Bans Journalists from Attending Press Conferences.

Kampala, 15^th/February/2013; The Lord Mayor of Uganda’s Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Elias Lukwago has suspended journalists working with the Vision Group from covering his press conferences accusing them of biased reporting. The government owned Vision Group runs a number of government owned news papers, television and radio stations. The New Vision, on February 12 2013, published an article titled ‘IGG probes Lukwago over Chinese deal’, which Lukwago said was biased and inaccurate.

On February 13^,2013, Lukwago threw out of a press conference four journalists of the Vision Group, saying they had not been invited due to the biased reporting. “Before I start my address, I would like all journalists working for Robert Kabushenga or Vision Group to leave immediately. I did not invite you to this press briefing and I do not expect you to be here,” Lukwago is quoted to have said. Those thrown out include; Hannington Nkalubo of Bukedde Newspaper, Juliet Waiswa of the New Vision, Ssekagya Charles of Bukedde radio and Jeff Andrew Lule of Bukkedde television.

Lukwago had called the press to refute the New Vision article about the Inspector General of Government (IGG) inquiring into the botched deal, where Foton sought to introduce its automobiles in Uganda, and that he had obtained money from the Chinese company. Foton East African Ltd deals in supply of buses, garbage trucks and Lorries.

“I had informed them earlier not to attend the press conference in question, when they insisted and came; I had to ask them out, and they went out peacefully. I banned any journalist from Vision Group from attending my upcoming press conferences,” Lukwago told HRNJ-Uganda, adding that.”I have been inviting them to my press conferences and other activities since I became Lord Mayor in 2011, but they are biased and report negatively about me. They can cover other functions at City Hall, but not my press conferences.”

The Mayor’s ban comes a fortnight after the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga banned two journalists of The Observer publications from covering the August House over news articles she said were inaccurate. The journalists have since dragged her to Court challenging the ban.

The victim Vision Group journalists told HRNJ-Uganda that they had never had problems with Lukwago since they started reporting at city hall some years ago. The Chief Executive officer of the New Vision, Robert Kabushenga ruled out any confrontation with Lukwago, “I have been informed of the ban, but we shall not get into confrontation with Lukwago. It is ok if he banned our four journalists, we won’t go back to him.” Kabushenga told HRNJ-Uganda.

“This approach of arbitrarily suspending journalists from covering news events is prejudicial to freedom of expression and information. It is dangerous for the media, and should therefore not be condoned. It amounts to abuse of authority and violates the Constitutional guarantees on freedom of expression and information. Should the office bearers be aggrieved by journalistic work, they should resort to amicable settlements or seek legal redress,” said HRNJ-Uganda’s National coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Journalist sprayed by police develops strange skin peeling

A WBS TV journalist William Ntege (Kyumakyayesu) was sprayed by police during a violent arrest at the police headquarters where he had camped demanding for compesation of his video camera.

Kampala, 08^th February 2013; A Wavah Broadcasting Services (WBS) television journalist, William Ntege a.k.a Kyumakyayesu who was sprayed by the police during an arrest in Kampala, has developed a strange skin reaction. It is not clear what substance was used to spray at the journalist. He first complained of an irritating skin, which started peeling off two days later, starting from the chin and later the forehead and in the sides which were most sprayed at.

Ntege, who on the 25^th January 2013 had camped at the police headquarters along parliamentary avenue in Kampala, was sprayed with pepper before he was violently arrested and whisked away on a police car to the Central Police Station (CPS) from where he was detained. He was charged with ‘obstructions’ and released on police bond the next day.

“You spray him, spray him.” Ntege quotes the police operations commander, Grace Turyagumanawe as having ordered the police officers during the assault. Ntege has sought treatment from private clinics.

The journalist was demanding for compensation of his video camera that was destroyed on October 4^th 2012 while covering the arrest of former opposition Forum for Democratic Change president, Dr. Kizza Besigye at the CPS in Kampala when police reportedly pushed him down the CPS stairs damaging his camera in the process. He has since camped at the police headquarters twice demanding for compensation. The Inspector General of Police, LT. Gen Kale Kayihura had earlier assured Ntege that he would be compensated. Mid last year, police compensated Ntege’s two cameras which had been damaged when police officers assaulted him as he covered news stories in Kampala.

“We don’t have any special type of spray, we use only pepper spray. It may react differently on different people,” said the spokesperson of Kampala Metropolitan Police Ibin Ssenkumbi, when HRNJ-Uganda contacted him about the type of spray used on Ntege, adding that, “with due respect, Ntege wants to use rude methods of seeking for compensation.”

“Compensation is a process; I know that they are trying to compensate him.” The police deputy spokesperson, Vincent Ssekatte told HRNJ-Uganda. He could not state the progress of the ‘Obstructions’ charges preferred against Ntege. No police officers have been held liable for the incident. The police have been criticized on a number of occasions for using excessive force when handling civilians, especially the opposition politicians and the media practitioners covering such activities.

“The police have severally targeted journalists covering opposition related activities, accusing them of being opposition activists. This criminalization of their journalistic work has scared away some journalists from taking up assignments to cover such news scenes. This is a direct attack on freedom of the media and right to information as provided by the Constitution and other local and international laws to which Uganda is a party. The police should investigate and prosecute its officers who assault journalists on duty as a way of ending brutality against media practitioners and dully compensate the victims.” said HRNJ-Uganda’ National Coordinator, Wokulira Ssebaggala.

Uganda Communications Communication, government sued over SIM card registration

Kampala, 08^th/February/2013; Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) and Legal Brains Trust have sued the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) over illegalities, irregularities and anomalies that have characterized the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)-card registration exercise. Hearing of the case has been fixed for this month. The duo wants Court to restrain UCC and the Government of Uganda from switching off or deactivating unregistered SIM-cards on 1st March 2013. The registration started in March 2012.

Through Web Advocates & Solicitors, the two organizations have advanced 45 (forty five) reasons justifying their case, among those; (a) that the deadline of 1^st March 2013 of is unlawful, (b) that the one year period set by the UCC to implement SIM-card registration was insufficient, (c) that UCC did not carry out structured and satisfactory consultations and awareness-raising campaigns before and during this period and that it did not effectively and efficiently supervise registration process. They argue the process is marred with illegalities, irregularities and anomalies that have violated human rights which must be rectified before the switching off of unregistered SIM-cards. They contend that switching off unregistered subscribers is an excess measure and inconsistent with the Human Rights obligations of government.

The petitioners prayed for an expeditious hearing of the case before the 1st March 2013 in order to avoid multiplicities of legal proceedings concerning the process. The case has been allocated to Justice Eldad Mwangusha of the High Court, and the hearing fixed for 25^th February 2013, at midday.

“We have consistently engaged UCC and the government throughout last year over this matter, but they could not listen to our pleas. We are hopeful that Court will grant our prayer and force them to rectify the illegalities, irregularities and anomalies that have marred the SIM-card registration process.” said the HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala.