Journalists’ rights group Human Rights Network for Journalist questions the spirit of the new government guidelines to the media to popularize its programmes, saying they are intended to interfere with their independent programming.
The Activists say that the ministry of information and National guidance should withdraw what they call its irregular orders to broadcasters seeking for free airtime to popularize government programs because radio airtime is not the problem.
The National Coordinator Human Rights Network Uganda Robert Sempala says government should instead focus at effective implementation of its programs and ensure it deploys competent officers when media houses request for them. He however says that government programs have not been explained to the population even with free opportunities offered by the electronic media in addition to the National Broadcaster.

Ssempala predicts that these orders by the ministry of information would end up interfering with the programming standards of the broadcasting stations to the extent of compromising the development content meant for the audience.

Human Rights Activists are to resort to apprehending individual police officers who engage in any form of attack on the media.
This warning comes as the Human Rights Network for Journalists condemned the recent raids by the police on radio stations in Western Uganda during the Opposition campaigns for electoral reforms.
The National Coordinator Human Rights Network for Journalists, Robert Ssempala reported that police raiding radio stations to stop talk shows violate the constitutional that guarantees freedom of expression.

Sempala said the Human Rights Network for Journalist will not watch these violations intended to narrow media space continue without reprimanding individual police officers who are supposed to protect the constitutional