The Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) is locked in a heated debate on whether to boycott the crucial meeting between the Uganda Police Force and Parliament’s Defence Committee.
The stand-off is a direct response to the recent brutalization and kidnapping of journalists during the Kawempe by-elections, an incident that has sent shockwaves through Uganda’s media landscape.
Journalists covering the high-stakes Kawempe by-elections found themselves on the receiving end of violence with several reporters alleging brutal attacks and forceful abductions by security forces.
These disturbing events have sparked outrage among members of the press, who now demand more than apologies, they want concrete assurances of their safety while on duty.
The leadership of UPPA is firm in its stance, no safety, no coverage. As discussions heat up, UPPA has insisted on boycotting the meeting until the government gives a firm and actionable guarantee to protect journalists from such violence.
“We are not asking for special treatment, we are asking for basic human rights. Our members deserve to work without fear of being brutalized,” a senior member of UPPA declared during an emergency meeting.
David Muhoozi, the State Minister for Internal Affairs led a team of officials from the Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Services to defend their 2025/26 Ministerial Policy Statements before Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee.
However, with the looming threat of a media boycott, the focus may shift from policy proposals to the growing tension between the state and the press.
Muhoozi has yet to publicly address the concerns of the journalists, but insiders hint at frantic backstage negotiations aimed at averting a full-blown boycott that could embarrass both Parliament and the police.
The proposed boycott has sparked mixed reactions. Some argue that a united media front could force the government to take press freedom seriously. Others worry that pulling out of such a critical meeting could backfire with government officials capitalizing on the absence of the press to avoid accountability.
For now, the message from Uganda’s journalists is clear, press freedom is non-negotiable and they are ready to fight for it even if it means walking out on the very institutions they report on.
