2026 polls: UCC cautions media on misinformation

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As Uganda prepares for the 2026 general election, media houses have been urged to avoid falling into the trap of misinformation. 

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCU) says the vice can cause media houses to be banned or suspended.

Speaking during the Annual Media Convention at Makerere University on September 3, 2024, UCC executive director Thembo Nyombi said falsified information is one of the short-term risks that the public is faced with.

Uganda Communications Commission ED Nyombi Thembo delivering a keynote address during the Annual Media Convention (AMC) at Makerere University.

He noted that information has been democratised and can be accessed by almost everybody in the world, a development he says poses a greater danger that threatens the existence of states and individuals.

"Today, we live in the world where information is at the fingertips of a bigger section of the population and any slide trigger, the message shall be shared to the rest of the world. There is need to tame it and how it flows, so as to safeguard the rest of the public," Nyombi said.

Embrace ethical values

Addressing at the same event, Godfrey Kabyanga, the Minister of State for Information Communication and Technology (ICT), challenged media houses to embrace ethical values in their reporting, noting that any slight misinformation could land a country into trouble.

Godfrey Kabbyanga, state minister of ICT speaking at the Annual Media Convention (AMC)

He urged the country to embrace new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) but warned that they should be used to advance public good.

"We are not scared of misinformation that can be facilitated by new technologies, we are only challenged to find lasting and yet collaborative working solutions," Kabyanga said.

The event was organised by the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University, under the theme: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Social Networks to Combat Misinformation.

University vice-chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe called on stakeholders to use technology well to solve society challenges. He noted that harnessing the potential embodied in the Artificial Intelligence technology to positively contribute to the ethical development in the country.

He highlighted the positive impact technology can cause to the country, but emphasised the need by the public to use it well to empower society and enable it to achieve set development goals.

"Technology is the powerful tool for society development, but the responsibility to use it well rests on us, to deploy it to the good use of solving society challenges," Nawangwe said.

He noted that media is a public good, which he said means that it should serve to advance society development, and also contribute to the well-being of the people.

Nawangwe's remarks were contained in the speech presented on his behalf by Yusuf Kirunda, Makerere University secretary.