Uganda journalists to mark world press freedom day

By Raymond Baguma

The Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) has begun preparations to commemorate this year’s world press freedom day which will be marked with a series of activities.
 

Robert Kagolo, the UJA president, said the association is leading the organization for this year’s world press freedom day commemorations under the theme, “Media freedom: deepening self-regulation for development.”
 

The programme of commemoration includes a public dialogue to be held in Fort Portal on April 30 and a prayer breakfast on May 1 at Hotel Africana to remember journalists who have died in the line of duty.
 

Also to take place on May 2 will be a public dialogue in Kampala preceded by a street procession, with a series of media workshops to run between May 7 and May 9, according to Kagolo.
 

This was during a joint press conference that was also addressed by UJA and the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). Also present were officials from the United Nations Human Rights Office.
 

Livingstone Ssewanyana, the director of Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) challenged journalists to be more active in enlightening the public to compel Government to carry out reforms in governance that will foster national development.
 

He said journalists should play their roles without interference and enable the public to reflect on what is going on and compel the State to effect reforms in sectors such as the judiciary, education and health.
 

Agaba Maguru, the acting chairperson of UHRC in a written speech called on journalists to utilize the Uganda human rights office by reporting complaints of abuse of journalists’ rights and freedoms.