KAMPALA
Journalists association in Uganda, UJA has petitioned the elections regulatory body, the Independent Electoral Commission, demanding urgent safety assurances for journalists in the 2026 general elections.
The group expressed frustrations over brutal attacks on media practitioners during recent electoral events by security personnel, particularly the police, UPDF which they say violates the rights of journalists and abuse press freedom in Uganda.
“These grave atrocities were a deprivation of their right to freedom of speech and expression,” UJA noted, citing Article 29(1)(a) of the 1995 Ugandan Constitution, which guarantees press freedom.
Referencing the Kawempe North parliamentary by-election held on March 13, 2025, UJA raised alarm over growing hostility and violence towards journalists, and called for protection of journalists’ safety before, during and after elections.
Noteworthy, a total of 36 journalists and several of their drivers were physically assaulted and injured by officers from the Uganda Police Force and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) while covering the Kawempe North by-election. Victims reportedly suffered both physical and psychological trauma, with several still recovering from the ordeal. The attacks also included the confiscation of critical work tools such as mobile phones, cameras, and broadcasting equipment. To the association’s dismay, the perpetrators of these attacks have neither been arrested nor punished and many of the damaged and confiscated equipments have never been returned.
UJA President Mathias Rukundo, who signed the letter, called on the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Hon. Justice Simon Byabakama, to urgently clarify how the commission intends to guarantee journalists’ protection during the upcoming election cycle. The association also proposed a series of actions to improve media safety, including:
“Urgently pronounce itself on how the protection of journalists will be ensured, considering the Kawempe by-election violence to which many fell victim and succumbed grave and or permanent injuries,” journalists demanded.
They also proposed for a national dialogue involving all election stakeholders and security agencies to address safety concerns.
Furthermore, UJA expressed need to hold capacity building trainings for journalists on electoral reporting to avoid similar resurgences.
“We have a strong belief that all the above would translate into laying out a fertile ground for the requisite solutions and mechanisms against the prevailing journalists safety concerns if given a consideration,” Rukundo says
In Uganda, election season is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous periods for the media industry, marked by severe assaults, censorship, arbitrary arrests, and, in some tragic cases, the death of journalists and activists. Press freedom advocates warn that without concrete guarantees and reforms, the space for free, fair, and safe electoral coverage may continue to shrink, threatening the democratic process in 2026 general elections.
