African Media Barometer Uganda 2016 Summary The Ugandan Constitution, by way of Article 4 of the Bill of Rights, explicitly guarantees freedom of expression as well as media freedom, and goes further in Section 41(1) by guaranteeing citizens the right to access information. In fact, Ugandan citizens are loaded with a plethora of laws that on one hand provide the enjoyment of a range of basic civil liberties, and on the other hand heavily regulate the media and curtail basic fundamental human rights. The Press and Journalism Act of 1995 has set up a media council to amongst other things “exercise disciplinary control over journalists, editors and publishers” and “requires that in order to practice journalism, one has to be in possession of a valid practicing certificate. Of the two new additions to the Act in 2014, Regulation No. 5 permits reporters to be fined for asking ‘persistent questions’. Then there is the Access to Information Act, which is seen as progressive, but the Official Secrets Act takes away from the space opened up by this legislation; by imposing restrictions on access to court records, cabinet records, statement of income and liabilities (asset declaration). These and several other pieces of legislation also include vague and expansive language that is often interpreted in a restrictive manner to curb actions deemed disagreeable to the state. These contradictions have infiltrated Ugandan society and the manner in which people act or engage around issues. Citizens speak volubly and boldly on a variety of topics and exercise caution when discussing religion, ethnicity or politics. Wary of sparking conflicts, the older generation is extremely reserved in discussing contentious tribal or ethnic issues. Geographical placement and generational differences also play a major part in how Ugandans express themselves. In rural communities, people are reserved when demanding effective delivery of services as they are not confident about their entitlement to these amenities. They are also wary of the reprisal from the state which is often harsh and goes unreported. The reluctance to discuss politics is the fear of the wide reaching arm of the intelligence services that operate at various levels of society. When criticizing government, some media practitioners have received threats from anonymous callers saying: “How dare you speak about someone like this. Are you bullet proof?” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2016 7