Uganda Communications Commission-UCC, which regulates the airwaves, has directed Freedom Radio to submit recordings of a talk show, in which the former Forum for Democratic Change-FDC party president is accused of inciting violence.
Besigye appeared on a talk show on Freedom Radio on September 09, 2017 between 09:30pm -11:00pm. He appeared on the radio only a few hours after he was blocked from speaking in a paid talk show on Voice of Kigezi on the directives from the office of Kabale Resident District Commissioner.
During his talk show on Freedom City, Besigye rallied his supporters to contest in the forthcoming local council elections. He also rallied voters to support Shillah Arituha, the former FDC candidate for the Rukiga Woman MP seat.
Besigye also called upon all Ugandans to resist the Constitutional bill 2017, which seeks to provide for compulsory land acquisition for government projects and the proposed scrapping of the presidential age limit.
MPs aligned to the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party have already mooted a proposal to amend article 102 (b) of the Ugandan constitution, which restricts the president’s age to between 35 and 75 years.
Following the talk show, Engineer Godfrey Mutabazi, the Executive Director, Uganda Communications Commission wrote to the Managing Director of Freedom Radio on September 19th, 2017 to submit the recordings of Besigye’s show for investigations for allegedly inciting violence. Freedom Radio was expected to deliver the recordings not letter than September 22, 2017.
The Programs Director Freedom Radio, Mark Adi has confirmed the development, saying they have already submitted the recording to UCC as directed. He however, says the complaints about the talk show are politically influenced. Recently, while appearing on Voice of Kigezi and several other stations across the country to clarify the Constitutional amendment bill 2017, President, Yoweri Museveni warned media houses especially radio stations against hosting those opposed to the proposed amendments.
