Uganda’s electoral commission has warned the media against inflammatory reporting ahead of the 2026 elections.
Justice Simon Byabakama, Chairperson of the Uganda Electoral Commission, issued the warning while speaking at the 3rd annual Uganda Editors’ Guild Convention in Kampala.
“Don’t give ammunition to those who want to sow seeds of sectarianism, hopelessness and division through the use of hate speech and language that creates discord and bitterness,” Justice Byabakama said.
He also encouraged editors to focus on responsible reporting, highlighting key areas of collaboration during the electoral season, such as excessive commercialisation of electoral processes, misinformation, disinformation and fake news. Justice Byabakama stressed the importance of promoting youth participation in the electoral process.
Daniel Kalinaki, President of the Uganda Editors’ Guild, described the convention as timely, given the upcoming elections.
“The convention aims to focus on emerging issues around elections, so we have all the key stakeholders in one room,” Mr Kalinaki said.
He emphasised the need for high-level engagements with key stakeholders to negotiate space and freedom for journalists.
“We must have in-depth conversations with people at the other end of the fence, and bodies like Uganda Editors Guild create avenues for us to understand and hear each other,” Mr Kalinaki added.
Dr George Lugalambi, Executive Director of the African Centre for Media Excellence, highlighted the importance of uplifting the quality of journalism across the board.
“Conversations such as we are having are critical to enable us to strengthen our internal mechanisms in the profession to enable self-regulation,” Dr Lugalambi said.
“As an editor, you are the first regulator,” he noted.
Susan Wegoye, Secretary/Director Legal Affairs at the Uganda Communication Commission, called for a partnership with the media to promote peaceful campaigns and support conflict prevention.
“The media can often incite violence through unbalanced, inaccurate or inflammatory reporting,” Ms Wegoye said.
She stressed the importance of verifying information before publication, especially in the digital age.
M-SPACE, a programme implemented by a consortium of partners including the Uganda Editors Guild, the African Centre for Media Excellence, Uganda Radio Network and Uganda Media Women’s Association, supported the convention. The programme aims to enhance professionalism and accountability among media practitioners and institutions, and improve the operating environment for the media.
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