Govt appeals to broadcasters to heed to UCC directive on Museveni census messages

With just hours to Census night, government is appealing to the media to fully support and publicize the 2024 National Housing and Population Census exercise.

This is after the National Association of Broadcasters turned down the directive by Uganda Communications Commission for broadcasters to air President Museveni’s census message.

According to the association chairman Innocent Nahabwe, media houses operate as commercial entities, paying licensing fees to UCC, taxes and face financial obligations such as staff salaries and operational expenses.

In a statement issued yesterday, Nahabwe said there should be deliberate budgeting for national activities like the census.

However, addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala on Thursday, ICT and National Guidance Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi has said that this is not possible due budgetary constraints, thus appealing to the broadcasters to heed to the regulator’s call,” it is not that  UBOS had the money and the have diverted it and the don’t want to pay the media houses as far  as i am concerned   i don’t think was a provision for  paying  media house for that message but my appeal would be for the interest of the cooperation we have always with them to air that message,” Baryomunsi said.

 This comes as final preparations are being made by the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) for the 2024 National Housing and Population Census that is set kick off tomorrow, which government has gazetted  as a public holiday.

Written by Ronald Ssenvuma