Ndisaba advised journalists to endeavor to be clearly identical while reporting during tension moments, and to avoid any news source that may place their lives in danger, saying, “Your life matters more than any news story, so do not go out of your way to get any story even at the cost of your life”.
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Mukono Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hajat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka has urged media practitioners to move cautiously to avoid over stepping in the name of exercising their right of expression, which may lead to compromising security agencies’ duty to protect the nation from lapsing into chaotic situations.
Ndisaba cited the 2009 standoff between Buganda government and security agencies during which the Katikkiro of Buganda then, Eng. John Baptist Walusimbi and other Mengo official were blocked from travelling to Bugerere (Kayunga district), with a view to thwart an imminent bloody conflict between Buganda and Banyala ethnic group which was brewing, but that the matter was blown out of context by media reports, and culminated into unforeseen chaos.
“There was a misgiving by the media whereby they concentrated on the government’s refusal of the Mengo heads from travelling to Bugerere, without mentioning anything about the tribal conflicts involved, and an erroneous picture was painted portraying government as being drawn against Buganda per se,” the RDC said.
She made the above remarks on Thursday while making a presentation at a regional dialogue between security agencies and Greater Mukono media practitioners geared at enhancing safety and security for journalists ahead of the forthcoming elections. It was organized by the Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ).
The meeting held at Hotel Alvers in Antony-Namumira ward in Mukono Municipality was held under the theme “Generating Specific Issues and Consensus on the Safety and Security of Journalists” and was attended by representatives of Mukono and Buvuma police, the 2nd ‘Tokora’ UPDF Brigade at Mpoma Satellite Station, and a team from the RDC’s office.
Ndisaba advised journalists to endeavor to be clearly identical while reporting during tension moments, and to avoid any news source that may place their lives in danger, saying, “Your life matters more than any news story, so do not go out of your way to get any story even at the cost of your life”.
Outlining the importance of dialogue between security operatives and journalists, the Deputy HRNJ Executive Director, Moses Magola stressed the importance of departing from the approach of ‘we demand’ and take the approach of dialoguing.
“We have diverse interests but avenues for taking non-violent approaches are inexhaustible; there should be a give-and-take mode of interaction,” Magola observed.
Representatives of security agencies in attendance included Buvuma DPC SP Bagoole Michael, Mukono Division Community Liaison Officer (CLO) ASP Kasujja Shafik, and UPDF 2 Tokora Brigade’s Capt. Ben Ampaire all of whom concurred that dialogue between security and journalists has been long overdue, as the most effective way of bridging the gap between communities and the centre. Others were, Modono Deputy RDC, Moses Muyambi, Moses Kizito Buule, the Buvuma Assistant RDC, who also doubles as a board member HRNJ and Ronald Kalumba, HRNJ board member.
ASP Kasujja, who represented the Mukono Division Police Commander, SSP Bernard Mugerwa noted that much as journalists are colleagues who sometimes tip police on certain issues, some have the tendency of being patronized by self-centered politicians and in effect lead them to report only in the interest of those politicians.
In response, the journalists hit back at police saying they are also fond of patronizing certain journalists by accepting to release information only to journalists of their preference, with no regard to the fact that reporters are drawn from different media houses.
In a preamble to the meeting, HRNJ Programme Officer, Prossy Charlotte Ogwang stressed the importance of journalists and security operatives joining hands in most of their work, adding that conflict situations between the two which has several times to physical clashes are uncalled for.
Ogwang said, “This is our country; we cannot go away and despite emerging dynamics along the way, we must work together and it is everybody’s role to identify means of bringing our two forces together in harmony”.
The two reached consensus to hold more regular interactions with a view to concretely strengthen their interaction and rule out conflicts.
