Uganda: Museveni crackdown shows limits of Twitter revolutions
Breathless narratives do not take full account of African realities, says Nick Young
Uganda: Journalist attacked while covering elections
A journalist was attacked by a mob while covering the recent elections in Mbale district, south-eastern Uganda. Gerald Mutembu, who works for Wavah Broadcasting Service (WBS), was filming a scuffle between different groups fighting over the alleged bribery and intimidation tactics of supporters of the state minister for housing, Michael Werikhe. Six journalists have reportedly been attacked in different parts of the country while covering the elections.
Uganda: Editor detained over cartoon
The chief executive officer and managing director of Business Summit Review was detained on January 11 after the magazine ran a cover cartoon depicting Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni slicing up a cake in celebration of 48 years of Uganda’s independence. Mustapha Mugisa was released a few hours after his arrest but faces charges of political offence.
Uganda: Newspaper told to stop targeting homosexuals
A Ugandan judge has instructed the Rolling Stone newspaper to stop publishing the names and photographs of people it claims are gay. Last month the tabloid published names, photos, and addresses of 100 supposed homosexuals, alongside a banner that read, “Hang them.” The injunction came following a request by the gay rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). The group says some gay people were attacked after Rolling Stone published the information. Editor Giles Muhame was unrepentant, saying, “We will publish more pictures but in a diplomatic way, so that we can dodge the law” and “ I haven’t seen the court injunction but the war against gays will and must continue. We have to protect our children from this dirty homosexual affront”.