Police to only deal with recognised journalists

ELECTION WATCH | POLICE | JOURNALIST 

The Uganda Police Force on Wednesday warned that police and sister security agencies shall recognize only journalists and media practitioners who are accredited by the Media Council, during the coverage of political campaigns and other electoral events.

Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in a statement also informed journalists who are subjected to any form of physical abuse and other forms of harassment in the course of their duties to report their cases to the Media Crimes Department at CID headquarters.

The Commissioner, Media Crimes Department can be reached on telephone contact 0783100402.

Lokech noted that accreditation process which has been open to all media practitioners expires on December 31, 2020.

"As we had indicated in our communication of December 14, 2020, the accreditation will help us distinguish journalists who are compliant from those who are holding out. The Media Council has generated a list of all journalists who have been accredited, registered and are compliant with valid Media Council press badges, which shall operate as a working tool by the bonafide journalists," Lokech noted.

He also said that all accredited journalists and media practitioners, "must visibly wear their press badges at all times, while covering the political campaigns and electoral events. They should also know that the media press badges are personalized and therefore, non-transferable."

Lokech reminded all accredited journalists that Police zonal and territorial commanders have been availed the list of all successfully accredited journalists for ease verification. 

"This arrangement will help us, accord journalists, better protection over the remaining electoral process," Lokech said.

Lokech statement comes in the wake of a recent incident in which three journalists were injured in Masaka as they confronted the National Unity Platform (NUP) Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi.

It also comes in the wake of the arrest of several NUP media activists attached to Kyagulanyi on Wednesday morning after security accused them of spreading hate messages and incitement on their social media handles.

Lokech wished the media fraternity and all Ugandans a safe, peaceful and healthy, New Year, full of aspirations and new resolutions.