By Mulengera Reporters
In his Thursday speech at Bugolobi-based UCC headquarters, which Nyombi Thembo insisted hosts the event and not the UPDF headquarters at Mbuya Hill, Minister Balaam Barugahara made controversial reference to the infamous Radio Genocide (aka RTLM or Hutu Power) which mobilised and incited ethnic animosity resulting into the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda.
Speaking for & on behalf of CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Barugahara (who listed the UPDF Act to be among the many laws whose provisions media operators have to abide by to avoid breaching national security) said that Uganda had come to a situation where some Ugandans had resorted to using especially the social media platforms to become a replica of Hutu Radio in Rwanda.
He said many are doing this under the guise of free speech as is permitted under Article 29 of the Constitution yet the rights created thereunder aren’t absolute but are subject to restrictions as is laid out under Articles 43(1) and 17 of the same Constitution.
The Minister added that the reckless use and enjoyment of the political freedoms created under the Constitution had permitted many social media users to engage in hate speech, incitement of violence, sectarianism and formation of militant political groups like Kyagulanyi’s NUP was recently accused of doing.
He said this deliberate use of online media platforms and sections of mainstream media to engage in all these harmful tendencies had created anxiety across the country and also gotten taken note of by security agencies heads who sit on the National Security Council and the Inter-Agency Security Committee. He revealed it had been resolved to more closely work with UCC and media platforms owners to mitigate against the envisaged risks.
That through such engagements which will be ongoing, media operators will get to understand more about their obligations to report more truthfully and in a manner that balances between expression rights or freedoms and the sustainability of the country’s security wellbeing.
He also revealed that President Museveni had decreed that all media operators and owners be taken to Kyankwanzi for a few days’ cadre course training which must happen before 30th June this very year. Barugahara reminded hundreds of assembled media operators and owners of the need to make sure they report and generally go about their duties in a manner that complies with key Ugandan laws such as the Penal Code Act, the Computer Misuse Act and the UPDF Act (as amended).
He revealed that all this work, aimed at harmonising between enjoyment of expression and free speech rights on one hand and the country’s security on the other, had been tasked by the President to be coordinated by his own son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba (the CDF), who over the weekend delegated him (Barugahara) to be the one to handle on his behalf.
Some of the media operators present took note of the fact that the Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi, whose mandate it is to supervise UCC, had curiously been sidelined to create room for Balaam Barugahara (who is both Minister and media owner) to shine.
At some point it had been expected that Gen Jim Muhwezi, the security minister, would be coming to speak on the Executive’s behalf but the meeting organizers ended up having to do with Barugahara because he is the one who turned up. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
