Nagenda warns media of action
Oct 04, 2006
THE media must choose between scandalous and insensitive reporting and tough action against it, senior presidential media adviser John Nagenda warned yesterday.
By Milton Olupot
THE media must choose between scandalous and insensitive reporting and tough action against it, senior presidential media adviser John Nagenda warned yesterday.
He said there was a rising trend of misreporting and misrepresenting the Government position. “This is trying to wage war against the Government through the back door. This will be fought back through lawful means,†he said.
Nagenda, flanked by the Media Centre chief Robert Kabushenga, while briefing the media, cited Daily Monitor, and Red Pepper, newspapers and some electronic media which he said were used to making false utterances.
“You are citizens of this country, you should be able to build rather than destroy. The media has the capacity to do both. But take the line of building. If you have your facts right, please go ahead and write but we shall not accept you to use the media to divide this country.
“There are ways of making life difficult for people trying to make the work of the Government difficult,†he said.
Nagenda quoted stories like, “Museveni spends sh150m daily on his family, when Museveni spoke in defence of corruption, President Museveni demands salary rise, published in The Monitor and “Museveni’s medical results revealed and that the State paid sh92m to one Segane Lubengo to murder Dr. Kizza Besigye,†which he described as ridiculous.
He said Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi had asked The Monitor to apologise over the story alleging that Museveni asked for a pay rise but “in its stupidity ignored†the call.
“Something will rise out of it, we shall follow the law and those people will be dealt with. There is a man called Wafula Oguttu, who said Museveni spends sh150m daily on his family. This is trying to wage war against this government. I used to think Red Pepper was only for pornography but now they have gone into political pornography.
“They think they are untouchable but we shall touch them,†he added. He warned the kimeeza radio talkshows, saying, “We do not want to stop kimeeza but they should be properly regulated.â€
THE media must choose between scandalous and insensitive reporting and tough action against it, senior presidential media adviser John Nagenda warned yesterday.
He said there was a rising trend of misreporting and misrepresenting the Government position. “This is trying to wage war against the Government through the back door. This will be fought back through lawful means,†he said.
Nagenda, flanked by the Media Centre chief Robert Kabushenga, while briefing the media, cited Daily Monitor, and Red Pepper, newspapers and some electronic media which he said were used to making false utterances.
“You are citizens of this country, you should be able to build rather than destroy. The media has the capacity to do both. But take the line of building. If you have your facts right, please go ahead and write but we shall not accept you to use the media to divide this country.
“There are ways of making life difficult for people trying to make the work of the Government difficult,†he said.
Nagenda quoted stories like, “Museveni spends sh150m daily on his family, when Museveni spoke in defence of corruption, President Museveni demands salary rise, published in The Monitor and “Museveni’s medical results revealed and that the State paid sh92m to one Segane Lubengo to murder Dr. Kizza Besigye,†which he described as ridiculous.
He said Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi had asked The Monitor to apologise over the story alleging that Museveni asked for a pay rise but “in its stupidity ignored†the call.
“Something will rise out of it, we shall follow the law and those people will be dealt with. There is a man called Wafula Oguttu, who said Museveni spends sh150m daily on his family. This is trying to wage war against this government. I used to think Red Pepper was only for pornography but now they have gone into political pornography.
“They think they are untouchable but we shall touch them,†he added. He warned the kimeeza radio talkshows, saying, “We do not want to stop kimeeza but they should be properly regulated.â€