Three days ago I wrote about the media in Uganda and the publication of army statements in relation to the Kampala bombings as the gospel truth. Today the government has decide to take an extra step to gag the media coverage of the ongoing investigations relating to the July 11 Kampala bombings where 76 lives were lost.
So far 32 people from Kenya, Pakistan, Somalia and Uganda have been charged over the attacks.
The police is in the process of securing an order from a court in Kampala that prohibits the media from publishing any information relating to the investigations. If they are granted this order it means the security (police and army) will be in total control of the news regarding the bombings and they will put out whatever they want to the Ugandans with little question.
As much we appreciate the need not to jeopardize investigations such an order curtails freedom of expression and press freedom at a time when Ugandans especially those who lost their loved ones in the bombings need all the information.
Recently the police arrested and charged journalist Timothy Kalyegira with sedition over a story he published on his online newspaper Uganda Record, regarding the Kampala bombings. This story even though many see it as conspiracy theory, was the only story to have gone against the official military storyline.
So I don’t see this new move as a good sign but as a way to stop Ugandans from following and knowing the story of the July 11 bombings. The media in Uganda must be ready to fight this order it shouldn’t even be allowed to stand for a day. I just seen this on NTV news and details will be coming soon. I will put more links when they become available.
Rosebell Kagumire 