Lira City, Uganda – A section of journalists from the Lango Subregion has yesterday Thursday January 30, 2025 raised their voices in protest after being denied access to meet President Yoweri Museveni during his scheduled engagement with the media.
The journalists, who gathered at Pacific Grand Hotel in Lira City, have petitioned the president, demanding an explanation for what they termed as deliberate exclusion by a select group controlling media interactions with the head of state.
The aggrieved journalists accuse a small clique within their ranks of repeatedly monopolizing opportunities to meet the president while sidelining others, including those who actively cover government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga and other NRM initiatives in the region.
Leading the call for fairness, veteran journalist Sam Brunos Aliga from Voice of Lango FM decried the discrimination, saying the meeting with the president should have been a moment of recognition for all journalists in Lango.
“We appreciate President Museveni for his ongoing Zonal Regional Tour and his efforts to engage with different stakeholders. However, we are disheartened that despite receiving an invitation through the Government Chief Whip, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, a few individuals hijacked the process and determined who was allowed to attend,” Aliga stated.
He criticized the lack of transparency, saying many journalists were kept in the dark. “There were whispers in different journalist platforms about the meeting, but no official communication was made. When we finally got wind of the meeting, we were either too late or outrightly blocked from attending,” he added.
Aliga pointed out the irony of security barring journalists from entering the venue while larger groups such as cultural leaders had been accommodated in previous presidential engagements.
“When cultural leaders were invited, they traveled in multiple buses, and all were given access. Why then are Lango journalists—who are far fewer in number—being denied the same opportunity?” he questioned.
He further lamented that this was not the first time Lango journalists were sidelined.
“It happened before when iron sheets were given to journalists through the Office of the Prime Minister. Many who benefited were not even journalists, and the promised second phase of distribution never happened,” he revealed.
Aliga also cautioned against the misuse of UGX 100 million meant for Lango journalists, warning that it should not be controlled by a single SACCO benefitting a select few.
“This money should be shared equitably so that all journalists in the region can benefit. We need transparency in how media funds are allocated,” he urged.
Santo Ojok, News Editor at Divine FM in Apac, described the selection process as biased and driven by personal interests.
“Only a few media houses were allowed to send representatives, and even those were carefully chosen based on connections rather than merit,” he said.
He criticized the idea that only a specific group of journalists should meet the president.
“We also report on government programs, and some of us have done so diligently for years. It is unfair to treat us as outsiders while rewarding the same small group repeatedly,” Ojok stated.
Patrick Okidi of The Ankole Times expressed frustration, revealing that he had paid UGX 90,000 in membership fees to the Lango United Journalists Association (LUJA) but was still excluded.
“We support the government, and we love President Museveni, but we are being sidelined by those who control access. The Presidential Press Unit should address this issue and ensure inclusivity,” he demanded.
Okidi acknowledged that Senior Presidential Advisor Sam Engola and Minister Chris Baryomunsi attempted to intervene on their behalf, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Longtime journalist Kaxton Pule of Dokolo FM shared a similar ordeal, recalling how he and his colleagues were removed from the bus transporting journalists to Baralegi.
“We had to hire a private taxi to follow the delegation, but when we reached the venue, security turned us away. It was humiliating,” he lamented.
Gom Belmos of Unity FM, who led the team to Baralegi, confirmed allegations of irregularities in the selection process.
“I have always heard rumors about corruption and favoritism in media circles, but today I saw it firsthand. Some people were added to the list just minutes before midnight, while others who had worked hard for years were ignored,” he said.
He noted that even after submitting their names upon the instruction of Minister Baryomunsi, they were still denied access.
“How do you expect young journalists to stay motivated when they see such unfairness? This kind of exclusion is killing the profession,” Belmos remarked.
Frustrated by the exclusion, over 50 journalists have signed a petition addressed to President Museveni, urging him to investigate the matter and ensure fairness in future media engagements.
Among the media houses whose journalists were locked out are The Ankole Times, Dokolo Post, Voice of The Gospel FM, Orion FM, Radio Lira, among others.
The petitioners have also called upon Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua, Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, and Minister of State for Sports Peter Ogwang to intervene and address the growing division within the Lango media fraternity.
The petitioners emphasized that media engagement with the president should be inclusive and merit-based, not controlled by a select group.
“We are not against any journalist meeting the president, but it should be an open and fair process. We need unity, transparency, and respect for all media practitioners in Lango,” Aliga concluded.
With mounting pressure from the excluded journalists, all eyes are now on President Museveni and his team to see how they will handle the grievances raised by the Lango media fraternity.
