UNESCO UNITES UGANDA POLICE FORCE AND JOURNALISTS AFTER KAWEMPE NORTH BY-ELECTION VIOLENCE.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) has organized  peaceful talks in Kampala that brought together  senior police officers and  journalists to strengthen working relationships and promote mutual respect for freedom of expression and human rights.

This is in response to the violence against journalists by security agencies during the recently concluded Kawempe By-election.

Senior police officials emphasized the importance of positive media-police relations, aiming to enhance safety and responsible reporting.

Last month, various journalists bodies including the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), Uganda Parliament Press Association (UPPA), Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA), and Human Rights Network for Journalists in Uganda (HRNJ), announced collective decision to boycott coverage of all security agency-related activities as a form of protest.

On the polling day April 13, 2025, several Journalists were attacked by security personnel, mainly from Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF and Police.

This prompted different media houses to withdraw their reporters from the field which affected their work.