A policeman beats up a journalist in Kampala outside the Daily Monitor and Red Pepper newspapers during a protest at the temporary closure of two newspapers by armed police in May 2013.
Isaac Kasamani/AFP via Getty Images
Uganda media houses pay low wages and offer few development opportunities for journalists, which makes reporters more susceptible to bribes.
Joseph Kazibwe, with his wife Magere, listen to radio updates of the Uganda presidential election result in January 2021.
Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images
For those keen to advance democracy and freedom in Uganda, the starting point is to take in the lessons of history.
Campaign posters of President Yoweri Museveni hang on a cable a day after the election commission said he won a sixth term in office.
YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images
Opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyangulanyi has repeatedly been underestimated by government supporters and critics since he first ran for parliament.
Ugandan musician-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi addresses the media after his car was shot at by police in eastern Uganda during his campaign.
Photo by Sumy Sadurni/AFP via Getty Images
Never has a political contest in Uganda’s history been so furiously played out in the media space as the 2021 national elections.
Ugandan soldiers shoot at demonstrators during riots in Kampala sparked by the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye in 2011.
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For all of the shortcomings of Nyerere’s regime, his ideas continue to inspire Tanzanians fighting for a more equal and democratic future, over 20 years after his death.
Uganda is preparing for its next election amid COVID-19 containment measures.
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Debate is raging as to whether Uganda can hold a scientific election, preceded by mass media and digital campaigns.
Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara attends a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence from France on August 7.
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African countries need to make a concerted effort to establish a continental two-term policy.
A military officer distributes maize flour in Kampala, Uganda, where the urban poor have been affected by the lockdown.
Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua via GettyImages
Bobi Wine in Uganda does it; so do the Economic Freedom Fighters in South Africa. The red beret is worn to signify the revolutionary. Its power lies in a symbolism that combines art and politics.
Ugandan musician-turned-MP Robert ‘Bobi Wine’ Kyagulanyi has been a frequent target of the country’s cyber laws.
Dai Kurokawa/EPA
There is a strong framework of international laws and conventions that defend free speech, but Uganda continues to limit freedom of expression especially when the people criticise their president.
Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo attends a confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
EPA/Michael Kooren
A military confrontation between Uganda and Rwanda remains implausible. But the stand-off between the two countries is reminiscent of the worst days between them.
Jimmy Spire Ssentongo is an Associate Dean (Research and Publication), School of Postgraduate Studies and Research at Uganda Martyrs University, Uganda Martyrs University