A professor at school of law, Makerere University, Oloka Onyango, says that parliament risk to be dragged to court again over refusal to issue press cards to journalists. He made the revelation while at a discussion on the state of press freedom at Parliament during a meeting held at Imperial Royale hotel in Kampala.

This after the Observer newspaper journalists Sulaiman Kakaire and David Tash Lumu won a judicial review case against parliament following their suspension from covering parliament in 2013 over what the Speaker deemed as inaccurate articles.

Prof. Oloka says that parliament may be sued for failure to give press access cards to these two journalists, describing it as contempt of law following, Justice Yasin Nyanzi’s rule that  the speaker through the clerk acted illegally without the input of the disciplinary committee. Oloka says that the right to access to information must be protected and go beyond carrying out investigations instead of basing on the statement from government officials so as the truth is known.

Article 41 in the Constitution of Uganda states that

Every citizen has a right of access to information in the possession of the State or any other organ or agency of the State except where the release of the information is likely to prejudice the security or sovereignty of the State or interfere with the right to the privacy of any other person.

Parliament shall make laws prescribing the classes of information referred to in clause (1) of this article and the procedure for obtaining access to that information.

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Above the Fray fellowship is not about finding the most experienced candidate; it is about discovering the next generation of international journalists. The fellowship will support energetic, truth-seeking individuals who wish to cover under-reported regions, but who lack the means to do so.

Applicants should have at least three but no more than five years’ professional experience. Candidates must submit a bio, two recommendations, two audio or video clips, three essays and a pitch to report from an otherwise under-reported region.

Deadline for applications: July 1, 2012.

For more information and to apply, visit http://www.thejohnalexanderproject.org/apply.html

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The East African countries of Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda have resolved  to build the state of art forensic police centre in Uganda’s capital city Kampala. The centre is expected to handle investigation challenges in East African Community.

The sources in East African Community told our journalist that Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania accepted yesterday that Uganda has the capacity to manage the forensic centre.

The Mult million US dollar forensic centre will be built in Naguru, a Kampala hill. The centre will handle DNA, ballistics (handles bombs and land mines), and toxicology (test done on poison victims).

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A source in the finance ministry tells our news desk that 4 billion shillings have been put aside to do the work.

The former workers of the NRM secretariat have been complaining that the government had failed to p[ay their terminal benefits and arrears amounting to Five billion shillings.

A highly placed source in the finance ministry has told this journalist that the staff of the defunct NRM secretariat spread throughout the country is to receive the benefits in December this year.

Some of the former staff members to be paid according on the list are Kirunda Kivejinja, Zam Nalugya, Ofwono Opondo, Ikuya Magode, and Henry Matsiko among others.

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A source at statehouse has told this journalist that the president’s office has got the invitation letter today.

 The conference will start with a Youth Conference on December 15^th and the main conference will take place on 16th December 2011.

The conference is an annual event where the kingdom invites policy makers, technocrats, and scholars among others to deliberate on a number of issues affecting the kingdom and the country as a whole.

This year’s Buganda conference will focus on investment opportunities and the challenges facing the institution. It will run under the theme, “Promotion of Investment in Buganda: What are the opportunities and challenges”.

By Christine Kate

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