A total of 163 cases of media violations have been recorded in the country according to the press freedom index 2018 which include blocking access to news scenes, assaulting journalists, habitually arrest and causing malicious damage to journalists’ equipment among others.
During the release of the report yesterday at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, Robert Ssempala, the Executive Director Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda noted that police is still the leading offender of media violations in the country accounting for 53% of media violations.
Resident District Commissioners, Uganda Communication Commission have also been named among the rampant media violators.
“Impunity has persisted with more state agents especially the Police and the army which is a part of UPDF,” Ssempala stated.
The report recommends that the Uganda Police Force takes transparent and public disciplinary proceedings against police officers who violate freedoms and the rights of journalists especially during field operations.
“In the situation where the police officers claimed to have taken the disciplinary action against the errant officers, the details of such disciplinary actions should be shared with public,” Ssempala reads the report.
Ssempala noted that the implicated Police men or women and their leaders or officers should be held personally liable.
He noted that Police should undertake robust and expeditious investigations of case reported by journalists where they are attack in the line of duty.
