Media houses implored to prioritise development news

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In his 1983 Imagined Community book, great thinker Benedict Anderson said, “As a nation we become what we hear and see, and that is predominantly determined by the media.”

Aware of the above reality about the enormous power the media has to set the right agenda for the country, Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) Executive Director Dr. Patrick Birungi has a proposed a paradigm shift, imploring Vision Group and other media houses in the country to give topmost priority to development news more than any other type of news.

Dr. Birungi made the remarks on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, during a courtesy visit he and his delegation had with the Vision Group managers led by the company CEO, Don Wanyama. Dr. Birungi was accompanied by UDC communication managers, who included Denis Dokoria and Juliana Ankunda.

The UDC boss noted with concern that media houses in Uganda give limited space to development news, and yet the realisation of the country’s ambitious development agenda of driving Uganda’s economy to greater heights requires prioritisation of development news.

“Development news has to be given topmost priority. This is how real transformation begins. We are ready to partner with Vision Group on that noble cause,” Dr. Birungi said.

He emphasised that while politics and other issues dominate the media, it is development content that truly shifts nations.

He pointed to international airlines that offer only business- and development-related articles in their in-flight magazines — a subtle but powerful way to promote investment in their countries.

“We want to do the same — create a media atmosphere that encourages Ugandans to invest, build, and transform their communities,” he explained.

Vision Group CEO Don Wanyama made a commitment that, as a leading media company in the country with many leading media platforms, including newspapers, televisions, digital platforms, and radio stations, Vision Group would implement UDC’s proposal of giving more priority to development news.

Wanyama said according to recent IPSOS ratings, Vision Group commands the largest audience in television, radio, and print.

“That’s the kind of platform UDC needs to take its message to every corner of Uganda,” he said. “Our reach is unmatched — and we are ready to tell Uganda’s development story.”

The group has also invested in digital billboards across major cities like Kampala, Jinja, and Mbarara, offering clients dynamic channels to engage the public beyond traditional print and broadcast media.

“With our comprehensive media ecosystem, our clients get everything they need under one roof,” Wanyama added.

Moses Mulondo, a senior producer with the New Vision Business Hub, highlighted the national importance of this initiative in driving the country’s economic transformation.

“This initiative is very timely. It has come at a time when, as a country, we are in the final preparations to commence in July the execution of the ambitious ten-fold growth strategy of driving Uganda’s economy from the current $55b to over $500b in the next 10 to 15 years. Guided by research, President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly emphasised that the key game changer will be value addition, and that is in line with the key mandate of UDC. This means UDC has a leading role to play in the realisation of the $500b economy target,” Mulondo explained.

Mulondo noted that the partnership with UDC is also timely in the sense that soon the fourth National Development Plan (NDPIV) will be commencing in July 2025 as NDPIII ends at the end of next month of June. 

Mulondo said prioritising development news will not only influence policymakers to allocate more resources to development expenditures but will also empower citizens with high-value and educational content, which can improve their economic welfare.

In a recent interview with New Vision on where he wants UDC to be in the next 10 years, Dr. Birungi said, “In the next 10 years I would like to see UDC as it was in the 1970s as the second biggest employer in the country after public service with the creation of over 40,0000 jobs as staff handling our different projects. We hope to undertake projects which absorb more than 40,000 workers. Our vision is to make sure we have a UDC with factories distributed across the entire country to facilitate speedy economic growth for our country.”

Dr. Birungi noted that, whereas they have so many factories and other investments they plan to undertake to unlock economic opportunities for Ugandans in many spheres, UDC is still greatly underfunded.

If the cabinet decision to adjust UDC capitalisation from the initial Sh500b to sh5trillion is implemented in the national budgets, UDC will play a leading role in creating jobs, boosting government revenue, supporting the private sector through public-private partnerships, and driving Uganda’s economy to greater heights.

Civil Society Organisations under the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) have several times suggested the need for the government to adequately fund UDC as part of the necessary interventions for creating economic opportunities for Ugandans, including jobs.

Uganda Manufacturers Association chairman Aga Sekalala Junior also recently called for increased funding for UDC and Uganda Development Bank to drive Uganda’s manufacturing sector to greater heights.