Mwenda’s outburst has a political context

SIR — Since the closure of KFM radio and the arrest of Andrew Mwenda, articles have appeared in the press debating what constitutes responsible journalism and questions of legality. I am reminded of Opio Oloya’s article of exceptional quality about professionalism and the need to check one’s facts. However, my feeling is that Mwenda’s case supercedes so-called responsible journalism and legality, important as they may be. Mwenda’s statements and the action of the authorities have a political context. They come at a time when the credibility of the NRM administration is in the balance, when the Parliament is becoming cause for disillusionment, when the Electoral Commission’s estimates of the percentage of people who voted in the referendum stretches credibility. They come at a time when the handling of information by government following the crash that killed Dr. John Garang and Ugandans smacked of incompetence and lack of co-ordination.

The Rev Amos Kasibante
Leicester, UK