Uganda declining in press freedom - envoy

Friday was World Freedom Day, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommended the day to celebrate press freedom, assess the state of press freedom throughout the world and defend the media from attacks on their independence. The day is also for paying tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. John Masaba interviewed the Head of Mission at the Danish embassy, Majbrit Holm Jakobsen, about EU's assessment on Uganda's progress 26 years since the day was launched. 

Your Excellency, what's your view on press freedom in Uganda?
Press freedom is something that is close to my heart and also important to the Danish government and the EU in general. Freedom of the press and expression are important for democracy.

A free press provides critical information which can help the citizen to make informed choices. It can be helpful in upholding human rights, fighting against corruption and exposing perpetrators.

There has been a lot of progress in Uganda. Look at the high growth rate of media outlets compared with other countries in the region, especially in the press that is able to express critical remarks about the Government. Technologically, Uganda has made great strides; for example, smartphones are now more accessible, giving citizens varied ways of accessing information.

How do you compare Uganda to Denmark?
The two countries are quite different in many ways. The similarity is in freedom of the press being guaranteed by the two countries' constitutions.

In Denmark, we have quite a vibrant media and journalists are largely free from any legal restrictions and threats from both government and non-state actors. That is not to say there aren't any problems.

But fortunately, rarely do you see physical harassment of journalists. Denmark is built for an open debate. That why it is one of the least corrupt countries in the world and one of the most developed too.

Our free press can expose malpractices and hold government and other officials accountable for their actions.

What do you consider as biggest threats to media freedom in Uganda?
If you read reports from Uganda Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Network for Journalists, you realise there are challenges like the safety and security of journalists. If you open a newspaper or watch TVs here, you realise how dangerous it can be being a journalist in Uganda.

We have seen journalists beaten and arrested. This has resulted in journalists resorting to self-censorship — which has been documented in a number of reports I have seen — because they fear the consequences of their work. It is of course very concerning.

So, what can be done?
It is the duty for all of us in society to respect journalists and see them as a positive force in Uganda, just as we would respect the teacher or policeman. The state has to ensure that the Constitution of Uganda and laws are respected. Security forces have to acknowledge that journalists are just doing their work and have to be respected.

Also, of course if you want to be respected, in some ways you also have to earn it. So, journalists have to be professional and ensure that their reports are backed by evidence and research.

What is your take on authorities storming media houses to stop talk shows featuring opposition leaders?
It is something that concerns not only me, but also the entire EU in Uganda. It is an attack and violation of rights to freedom of expression. It should be a concern that the Police has closed some radio stations without a legal basis. Such things limit space for radio stations and for media in general.

For most people who live outside Kampala, radio is the main source of information. So, when upcountry stations are closed, people's access to information is limited. And that is a threat to democracy.

We are also concerned because it seemed to be a bit biased. It seems to be a move to curtail the Opposition. The right to freedom of expression seems to have been limited to the ruling party.

In a democracy, it is important to have a lot of different voices — even dissenting voices.

How have you helped Uganda journalists to ensure that space for free media is widened?
It is important for the Danish embassy, and also for the EU, that freedom of expression and a free press is respected in Uganda. We are trying to ensure that in different ways. Every year we, as EU, give an award to a human rights defender. In 2016, we gave it to the co-ordinator for Human Right Network for Journalists, Robert Sempala.

We wanted to appreciate his work and hopefully boost it. Also, seven donor countries [of which Denmark is a member] support the Democratic Governance Facility, which gives support to civil society organisations and any entity that supports human rights in Uganda. One of the entities which have received this funding is the New Vision to support investigative reporting on human rights.

There are also a number of other organisations that work with media that we have been supporting.

What is your assessment on professionalism of media practitioners in Uganda?
I have personally observed that there are a number of cases where journalists have shown either a lack of knowledge or have not investigated things fully. I think there is some way to go before we can say there is full professionalism in the media in Uganda.

But like any other profession, there is also brain drain and some of the best journalists seem to leave the country because there are more opportunities abroad. Journalism is also expensive and you need more time and resources to investigate a story and cover all angles.

And yet most media houses in Uganda are struggling to have enough resources to do their work.

Where do you see the future of press freedom in Uganda?
I think it is difficult to predict the future. But I think if you look at some of the rankings and indexes that have been made over the years, you see that Uganda is declining. And that is worrying. For example, out of 180 countries, Uganda was this year ranked 125th by Reporters Without Borders. However, in 2013, it was ranked 104th. That is not improvement. I hope Uganda starts respecting human rights and freedoms which are enshrined in the Uganda Constitution.

What can be done to ensure that press freedom is safeguarded?
Uganda needs to respect the rule of law. There are quite a number of good laws in Uganda to create an enabling environment for the practice of good journalism.

But of course, laws alone will not make any difference if they are not respected. So, it is important that the rights in the Constitution are upheld. I also think conversations like this (about press freedom) and having days set aside like the World Press Freedom Day as we had on Friday also help to enable the country to have more public conversations.

At the Danish embassy, we have also been following with great interest the ideas about having a national dialogue in Uganda. And we hope it will be able to take off. Part of that conversation can be about how to enhance the rights that are in the constitution and especially press freedom.

Then, I think the institutions that are safe-guarding free flow of information in Uganda like Uganda Communications Commission have an important role and need to be strengthened.

Uganda is heading into political campaigns in 2020/2021, which comes with a high harassment risk to journalists.

What is your advice?
I was in Uganda in 2016 during the last election and I know what can happen during an election time here. That is also why I like the theme of this year's World Press Freedom Day, which has to do with journalism and elections because I think that is a critical period in every society. We should learn from what happened.

The EU observers came up with a number of recommendations. For example, the media coverage tended to be skewed. So, there is need to see that candidates and parties are given more equal and equitable coverage. It was also a difficult time for journalists' safety and security. Security agencies need to show more restraint because journalists are just doing their job.

And the same goes for candidates who are obliged not to contribute to hostility towards journalists. The media also need to be better organised.

If they experience any violations, they need to speak out and address their challenges to respective authorities. Overall, however, it is not just one institution that has a role to play; it is the duty of all Ugandans to make sure that the 2021 elections do not become violent.