Press body asks EAC countries to guarantee media freedoms

Police manhandle a journalist during the Daily Monitor office siege in June. Journalists have called on the EA states to ensure media freedoms in the member countries. Photo by Faiswal Kasirye.  

By Ephraim Kasozi

In Summary

Journalists want EA partner states to repeal restrictive media laws so as to ensure press freedom.

The East African heads of state have been asked to prioritise media freedom as a fundamental component of economic development in the region and to foster laws and policies that guarantee it.

In a statement issued on Friday, the journalists under their umbrella body, Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) expressed concern over state actions against the media.

The journalists appealed to the East African partner states to repeal restrictive media laws in their respective countries to create a conducive environment for the press and freedom of expression.

“It is important for the East African Community (EAC) member states to embrace media freedom in order to achieve the anticipated economic prowess and a sustainable political federation,” Mr Robert Sempala, the National Coordinator of HRNJ-Uganda said.

Mr Ssempala said the EAC has continuously witnessed killings and harassment of journalists while more than 300 cases of persecution of journalists by the Ugandan government have been documented.

He accused the EAC states of retaining media laws that impede media freedom and freedom of speech.

“Uganda maintains numerous restrictive media legislations including the Press and Journalists Act that requires journalists to be licensed annually to publish information, and the Anti-terrorism Act that prescribes a death sentence to journalists who write about terrorism issues,” he added.

He said the regional states, through the Treaty for the Establishment of East African Community and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, committed themselves to adhere to the principles of democracy and good governance, which encompass human rights and particularly, free speech as a tenet of democracy.