Kampala — In a significant step toward aligning government oversight with the realities of modern communication, the Minister of State for National Guidance, Hon. Alioni Yorke Odria, joined forces with the Minister of State for ICT, Hon. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, and Permanent Secretary Dr. Aminah Zawedde for a high-level familiarisation engagement with the Media Council of Uganda.
The meeting, held as part of the ministers’ ongoing familiarisation programme, offered a detailed overview of the Council’s statutory mandate and its critical role in shaping Uganda’s media environment.
Officials from the Media Council briefed the ministerial team on core responsibilities that include media regulation, accreditation of journalists and foreign press, enforcement of professional standards, handling of public and institutional complaints, promotion of media ethics, and navigation of emerging issues in the rapidly evolving digital media landscape.
Established under the Press and Journalists Act, the Media Council serves as Uganda’s primary statutory body for media regulation. Its functions encompass promoting good ethical standards and discipline among journalists, arbitrating disputes between the public and the media as well as between the State and the media, exercising disciplinary control over journalists, editors and publishers, facilitating the flow of information, and classifying films and related content for public consumption. Accreditation remains a key pillar, requiring foreign media practitioners to obtain clearance before operating in the country.
The engagement comes at a time when traditional media coexists with and is increasingly challenged by digital platforms, social media, online news outlets and user-generated content. Discussions reportedly touched on the need to uphold professionalism and ethical reporting while adapting regulatory frameworks to address misinformation, online harms, content moderation, and the broader implications of digital transformation for national discourse and public trust.
Hon. Alioni Yorke Odria, who assumed the National Guidance portfolio following a recent cabinet reshuffle, and Hon. Joyce Ssebugwawo, the long-serving State Minister for ICT, brought complementary perspectives to the table. Dr. Aminah Zawedde, as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, provided continuity on the ministry’s broader priorities of effective communication, digital skills development and responsible information flow.
The familiarisation session underscores the ministry’s intent to strengthen collaboration with the Media Council as a “guardian of both press freedom and national discourse.” Previous interactions, including the swearing-in of new Council members, have emphasised the balance between media freedom and public responsibility — a theme that continues to define the relationship between government and the fourth estate in Uganda.
As the digital media landscape expands, the meeting signals a proactive approach by the new and continuing leadership to ensure that regulation keeps pace with technological change without stifling the free flow of information essential to democratic accountability and national development.
The engagement forms part of a wider series of introductory meetings designed to equip the ministers with a clear understanding of key institutions under or linked to the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, positioning them to provide informed policy direction in the months ahead.
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