Prominent city journalist is finding himself entangled in a contentious payment dispute with the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) following an alleged directive from an authoritative Minister.
This journalist, widely recognised for his initiative and commitment to promoting Uganda’s investment potential internationally was commissioned to produce UIA’s advertising content for his popular magazine.
UIA is in charge of all government investment opportunities and ventures in the country.
This website couldn’t name this popular journalist after he was stopped from discussing his plight with media or risked losing the money.
The money in question is shs 21 million, 7 million was released and 14 withheld after the Minister expressed concerns that the journalists didn’t include the private hotel found upcountry in the advertorial content paid by UIA.
“The idea was the Minister sought to benefit from the promotion in the the magazine so that in case tourists and investors go upcountry they look for this hotel,” said an official inside UIA who is disgusted by the levels of influence peddling and how the Minister is worshiped by all officials at the authority.
TrumpetNews understands that the scribe and the politician had a good working relation, however, the collaboration took a turbulent twist when the journalist declined a request from the minister to feature a private hotel advertisement within the UIA-funded magazine saying the content about the hotel was substandard and also questioned how he would account for the public funds used to promote personal ventures
The journalist’s principled stance against using public funds for private promotional purposes led to a heated disagreement.
In an unprecedented move, the minister reportedly instructed UIA to withhold the journalist’s payment, citing no reason.
This decision has since ignited a firestorm of debate over the appropriate use of public funds and the potential implications for press freedom.
The dispute is gradually garnered widespread attention, with media organizations expressing concerns about the perceived coercion of journalists and the potential erosion of journalistic independence. They argue that such actions threaten the essential role of a free press in a democratic society and crippling of entrepreneurship which President Yoweri Museveni advocates for.
As the journalist remains embroiled in this high-profile payment dispute, questions loom over the broader issues of media freedom and ethical considerations in government communications.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between journalism and government influence and underscores the importance of preserving the integrity of journalistic work in the face of external pressures.