solidarity among the media practitioners and other human rights institutions as well as improved quality on television due to digital migration. One of the major ways to participate in public affairs is through public dialogue and the capacity to organize and assemble. Having noted the challenges involved in organizing public assemblies, the UHRC developed in a participatory manner, Guidelines on Public Demonstrations and Processions. The key provisions in the Guidelines were afterwards incorporated into the Public Order Management Act 2013. The enactment of this Act in 2013 was therefore a welcome step, as it was important and necessary to have a law regulating public demonstrations, and which is vital for democracy. There have also been efforts to enhance cooperation between opposition parties and the police, as was exhibited during the recently concluded countrywide consultative meetings of political parties on electoral reform. The operational arrangements that were agreed between the opposition parties and the police immediately removed the confrontations and disruption of political rallies that had characterize the previous opposition political rallies before the agreement was put in place. 3.4.3 Challenges The media itself is still grappling with lack of professionalism, inadequate training, unethical conduct, corruption and poor working conditions. In addition, the privatization of the media space has negatively affected the ability of the media to report objectively when businesses are at risk. During the 2011 General Elections, some houses were accused of favoritism and not providing an equal platform for opposition political leaders. On the other hand, recently this year, the employment contract of the Managing Editor of the Daily Monitor Newspaper, one of the two largest newspapers in Uganda, was unfairly terminated after he had authorized publication of the results of an opinion poll in the newspaper ahead of the 2016 General Elections, which indicate President Museveni well ahead of his opponents. At a recent meeting organized by the UHRC, media practitioners and human rights defenders complained of difficulties in accessing information relating to oil exploration activities that are being carried out in the Albertine region. NGO’s working in the same sector also reported harassment and closure of their meetings. On the other hand, some NGOs have also been accused or suspected of habouring intentions of sabotaging the oil industry, or carrying out case business. ‘brief’
solidarity among the media practitioners and other human rights institutions as well as improved quality on television due to digital migration. One of the major ways to participate in public affairs is through public dialogue and the capacity to organize and assemble. Having noted the challenges involved in organizing public assemblies, the UHRC developed in a participatory manner, Guidelines on Public Demonstrations and Processions. The key provisions in the Guidelines were afterwards incorporated into the Public Order Management Act 2013. The enactment of this Act in 2013 was therefore a welcome step, as it was important and necessary to have a law regulating public demonstrations, and which is vital for democracy. There have also been efforts to enhance cooperation between opposition parties and the police, as was exhibited during the recently concluded countrywide consultative meetings of political parties on electoral reform. The operational arrangements that were agreed between the opposition parties and the police immediately removed the confrontations and disruption of political rallies that had characterize the previous opposition political rallies before the agreement was put in place. 3.4.3 Challenges The media itself is still grappling with lack of professionalism, inadequate training, unethical conduct, corruption and poor working conditions. In addition, the privatization of the media space has negatively affected the ability of the media to report objectively when businesses are at risk. During the 2011 General Elections, some houses were accused of favoritism and not providing an equal platform for opposition political leaders. On the other hand, recently this year, the employment contract of the Managing Editor of the Daily Monitor Newspaper, one of the two largest newspapers in Uganda, was unfairly terminated after he had authorized publication of the results of an opinion poll in the newspaper ahead of the 2016 General Elections, which indicate President Museveni well ahead of his opponents. At a recent meeting organized by the UHRC, media practitioners and human rights defenders complained of difficulties in accessing information relating to oil exploration activities that are being carried out in the Albertine region. NGO’s working in the same sector also reported harassment and closure of their meetings. On the other hand, some NGOs have also been accused or suspected of habouring intentions of sabotaging the oil industry, or carrying out ‘brief’ case business.
UgandaHRC.docx