The Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) has announced a total boycott of parliamentary coverage, protesting the inhumane treatment of journalists, after security forces confiscated cameras and confined journalists within Parliament, following the chaos that ensued during today’s plenary sitting.
The decision followed a Wednesday meeting in which a section of bitter journalists called for the boycott of coverage of Parliamentary proceedings, in protest of the inhumane treatment.
They were evicted from the gallery and their cameras confiscated by security operatives.
The journalists who had been ordered to leave the gallery were later allowed back to the gallery, although they were barred from using their cameras and recorders to capture the proceedings in the Chambers.
Sam Ibanda Mugabi, UPPA President, announced the boycott and asked Editors in various media houses not to pressure journalists into resuming coverage until their concerns are addressed and safety of journalists at Parliament is guaranteed.
“As you are aware of what transpired, a decision was made, to expel journalists from the Media Gallery. As leaders of UPPA, we think this was uncalled for. There was no need to chase away journalists and then, confine them in the Conference Hall. As leaders of UPPA, we weren’t engaged at all, and we think, as leaders, we should have been engaged before such a harsh decision was taken. We condemn the decision that was taken to throw away the journalists,” said Mugabi.
He added: “As media, we aren’t here to be pro-government and we aren’t here to be pro-opposition. But we are here to disseminate information to the public. We have agreed that starting now, we shall not cover the proceedings of Parliament, neither the proceedings of Opposition nor proceedings of Government, in Parliament, until when the UPPA leadership engages the leadership of Parliament and has a common consensus, and is given assurance on the safety of journalists in this Parliament. I want to ask Editors, I know there are some Editors who will be putting pressure on reporters here at Parliament, let us be patient.”
MPs speak out
The Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, also protested the blocking of media coverage, tasking Speaker Anita Among to clarify if she gave such a directive and explain whether the media blockage was intended to conceal a crime that was going to be committed in the Chambers.
He made the remarks while addressing Parliament following the morning scuffle, where he detailed the brutality inflicted on MPs, saying some were rushed to hospital, while others were being detained in unknown locations.
“When the media was taken away from here, the lights were switched off, the network was disconnected, and this place was raided by strangers, against Rule 237 of our Rules of Procedure. I want to believe that it was on your order that the media was thrown out, that people raided this House and beat up MPs, and yet as far as I am concerned, you are meant to protect us. But you ordered for us to be beaten today and in this House,” said Ssenyonyi.
“Members were beaten, brutalized, and all of us were being shoved around like little children, in our own House. They were stepping on these chairs, pushing and they picked up a couple of MPs while beating them up. Our colleagues were assaulted, including women, by men, whom we don’t know, they aren’t staff of Parliament, they don’t belong to the Sergeant at Arms office, and they are hooligans and “kanyamas” that came in, with a mission, to beat up MPs.”
According to Ssenyonyi, a couple of MPs were using their phones to record what was happening but their phones were grabbed as they were being beaten up.
He assured the Speaker that none of them was scared of being suspended from the house.
“You have suspended a couple of MPs, and you have said, you can suspend the whole House and so you know, none of us is scared of being suspended. What we want is to protect the sanctity of this House. Members can’t be bundled up, or beaten up in this House. The media was thrown out as if to say, you were prepared to commit a crime. Because the reason why proceedings of this House are public, it is because the public has got to follow whatever is happening here,” stated
Speaker Anita Among, in response, said she was also subjected to the same security checks, and emptying the building wouldn’t be possible because members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) are using the same building.
“We must be mindful that we have EALA seated in the same building. When we came in, I was subjected to checks and I am not immune to anything,” said Among.
Ssemujju Nganda (Kira Municipality) earlier raised concern over the high-security deployment at Parliament, asking the Speaker to empty the Chambers and subject all its occupants and offices around the Chambers checked to ensure that no guns had been brought inside the Chambers.
“I am raising a point of privilege for you to subject everybody and we empty the building because Parliament must be an atmosphere of free debate. We need to inspect all these rooms surrounding the chambers to make sure a free atmosphere for us to have the debate, exists,” said Ssemujju.
He added: “I have been here for a while, we have been subjected to humiliation by security as we were coming to Parliament, and this didn’t only affect Opposition MPs. We were removed from our vehicles and we were being stopped from parking. There are uniformed security personnel who are more than 530 MPs. In our Rules, you don’t carry guns past the main gate. I am not certain that there aren’t guns inside this building and I am raising this because some of us, have fallen victims before.”
