Speaker Among’s move to bar lobby interviews sparks journalist concerns

By Dedan Kimathi

KAMPALA - For as long as the Commonwealth has existed, journalists have enjoyed special access to the lobbies of national assemblies in member states.

These hallways, which are always bustling with lawmakers have for decades, if not centuries served as reporter’s hunting grounds for impromptu interviews and political scoops.

In Uganda’s context, the lobby is the open space in front of the parliamentary chambers.

In fact, the term lobby journalists, which is rooted in the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament, describes reporters who frequent this corridor, not just to report news but to influence policy as well through their coverage.

However, this long-standing privilege appears to be standing on shaky ground. After Speaker Anita Annet Among vowed to decongest the area on February 18, 2024. This was during debate on amending the Rules of Procedure.

Instead, Among suggested that journalists should conduct interviews in a designated room, widely believed to be the press room.

“We have a room where all the press people should go. If you want to go and do legislation or media, you go to that room and address from there. I am happy, you have talked about it yourself, I am also going to decongest outside there. Whether it is in the rules or not, we shall do it,” she said.

This was ironic, given that just moments earlier, she had emphasized the critical role of the media. While the rules grant her discretion, she also stated that she is always pleased when journalists cover parliamentary proceedings.

This was after Leader of Opposition (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi urged the House to avoid creating the impression that the media is unwelcome. According to him, the media should not be punished for the shortcomings of individual MPs.

“What we have to do is behave. Of course, there are members who are massaging each other, just behave and know you are in the eye of the public,” the Nakawa West MP warned.

“As leadership of Parliament, we have never made a suggestion that we don’t want the press here. If we didn’t want it, we would tell them not to be here. We have never said that and we are comfortable and happy that the press is covering our proceedings,” she responded.  

Despite her reassurances, her announcement has sparked debate among journalists. Were her comments in jest or she meant them?

Journalists (names withheld) I spoke to complained that the press room which is located in the basement of the North Wing, is too small.

The room which is equipped with just 10 computers, falls far short of meeting the needs of nearly 50 journalists who cover Parliament daily. Many fear this move signals more than meets the eye, recalling an incident last year when a few chairs in the lobby, where reporters would wait for their sources, were removed. Leaving many with no parking space.

Kadaga, Nandutu clash

The room at the centre of this controversy was previously closed in March 2015 when incumbent Bududa Woman MP Agnes Nandutu (Indep) was president of the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA).

This led to the banishment of senior journalists from Parliament.

At the time, Kamuli Woman MP Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga was Speaker, deputised by the late Jacob Oulanyah, while Wafula Oguttu held the position of Leader of Opposition.

Journalists were only re-admitted under a new requirement mandating a degree.

In a twist of fate, First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga lost her 2021 bid for Speakership, while Agnes Nandutu, once barred from Parliament as a journalist, won a parliamentary seat and was later appointed  Karamoja affairs state minister.

She was later dropped for allegedly siphoning iron sheets meant for the same region.

Appeals process

While Parliament's Communication and Public Affairs (CPA) reserves the right to accredit journalists, Maracha MP Dennis Oguzu Lee (FDC) argued during Tuesday’s debate that an appeals mechanism is necessary.

He warned that, under the current system, a journalist could be ejected on trivial grounds.

“There are some media people who may be targeted in these kinds of situations and if the people responsible for accreditation fail to accredit me, where do I go next?” Oguzu posed.

“CPA cannot be the people accrediting and when you are aggrieved with their decision, you go to them. I think that does not protect public interest,” he added.

These were however informed that the rules they were making were for the house and not journalists, who are called strangers in parliamentary lingua.

“You could meet some media practitioner who could say I was denied media accreditation because X, Y, Z does not like me. They may be right or wrong. However, where is the recourse for the person assuming they are right?” LOP Ssenyonyi chipped in.