Uganda Government Bias
Government
Government Type: Presidential Republic
Leader: President Yoweri Museveni
Political Party: National Resistance Movement (right-populist)
Political Position: Right
Press Freedom
World Press Freedom Rank: Uganda 132/180 (Limited Freedom)
Reporters Without Borders ranks Uganda in their World Press Freedom Index 132/180, warning that “acts of intimidation and violence against reporters is an almost daily occurrence.” Further, Human Rights Watch reports about Uganda’s 2021 elections, of which “President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986 was declared the winner, were marred by widespread violence and repression.”
Media Ownership and Government Analysis
Uganda has been ruled by National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Yoweri Museveni since 1986. Freedom House states, “The NRM retains power through patronage, intimidation, and politicized prosecutions of opposition leaders. Uganda’s civil society and media sectors face legal and extralegal harassment and state violence.”
According to the Unesco Department of Journalism and Communication, “Although there is no deliberate policy of selective advertising, the Ugandan government favors advertising with state-owned media. In addition, influential government individuals who own media houses also get more advertisements from the government.”
Uganda has over 300 radio stations and numerous public and private TV stations. Radio remains the dominant information medium and highly depends on advertising revenue. Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) is the public broadcasting network of Uganda. UBC operates the UBC TV channel, five radio stations, and Star TV. The Ministry of ICT, the Museveni government, controls the UBC and State-owned media sources. The state-owned Vision Group publishes New Vision and its sister publications, such as Bukkede, Etop, Rupiny, and Orumuri.
Nation Media Group, a Kenya-based media company, owns most privately owned media, such as the Daily Monitor newspaper, KFM, Dembe FM radio stations, NTV, and Spark TV.
In conclusion, the Ugandan government controls and intimidates the media directly and indirectly, resulting in limited press freedom and a lack of plurality.
Last Updated on March 6, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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