Uganda Media Week 2025 brings journalists together to share experiences and explore solutions to the challenges in their work.

At this moment when the country is heading towards the 2026 elections, it is crucial that people.

As the country approaches election periods, different groups are devising ways to cope with the conflicts that inevitably arise during the electoral process.
Among these groups are journalists, who face numerous challenges, particularly from security agencies.

Many journalists have been physically assaulted, arrested, detained, and had their equipment damaged or confiscated.
This has been evident in several elections across the country, starting from party primaries through to the general elections.

Beyond election-related challenges, journalists also face other persistent issues in their careers, including sexual harassment, low and irregular pay, and unfavourable working conditions, among others.
These challenges have discouraged many journalists, forcing some to abandon a profession that attracts significant public attention and interest from various stakeholders.

These ongoing issues have prompted discussions aimed at improving the welfare and working conditions of journalists.

One such initiative was championed by Media Focus on Africa, which convened a discussion bringing together various stakeholders and media practitioners from different sectors.

The meeting provided a platform to address industry concerns, confront existing challenges, explore solutions, and chart a way forward.

During the Media Focus Week held from 17th to 18th December 2025, at Four points by Sheraton hotel in Kampala, the Executive Director of Media Focus on Africa, Jan Ajwang noted that although the media plays a critical role in educating and informing the public, journalists rarely have opportunities to sit together and discuss the challenges they face.
“We barely have meetings for us, by us, and with us,” she emphasized.

She added that Uganda Media Week creates a vital platform for journalists to come together, put aside their differences, and engage in meaningful conversations aimed at identifying challenges and finding sustainable solutions.

She expressed gratitude for the success of Uganda Media Week, noting that over the past seven years, discussions held during the event have yielded tangible solutions to some of the challenges journalists face.

Jan highlighted several achievements resulting from these conversations, including journalists acquiring additional skills, resolving professional differences, and diversifying their sources of income, among others.

In his official remarks, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Fred Otunnu, commended Media Focus on Africa for organizing such a forum, emphasizing that it creates space for journalists and other stakeholders to share experiences and devise ways of holding responsible parties accountable.

He further stressed the need for journalists to engage various stakeholders and the public, encouraging collaboration to foster a better understanding of journalism.
According to Otunnu, this approach would help improve the public image of journalists, which has often been misinterpreted as biased.

During a panel discussion on protecting independent media as the country heads toward the 2026 general elections, several media practitioners and experts shared their views on the challenges facing journalists.

Tabu Mutangira, a journalist and editor, expressed concern over the way some media house managers neglect the safety of journalists, focusing more on the stories to be covered than on the well-being of those reporting them.

He appreciated ACME and Media Focus on Africa for organizing such forums, noting that they create safe spaces for participants to open up, share experiences, and discuss the way forward.
He emphasized the need to bring more stakeholders on board to collectively explore ways of improving the media environment.

Maureen Agena, a researcher, cautioned journalists and the public to be mindful of what they post online and how they present it, warning that careless online engagement can expose individuals to targeting and serious consequences.

She highlighted the growing problem of offline harassment resulting from online activity, which has placed many people at risk because of the content they share.

Media practitioner Robert Sharp Mugabe noted that some journalists are driven by bias, engage in one-sided reporting, and practice improper or unethical journalism, thereby misleading their audiences.

He warned that such conduct often puts journalists in danger and exposes them to attacks linked to misinterpretation of their work.

Mugabe urged journalists to act professionally and to return to the core principles of journalism to avoid being perceived as biased.

Similarly, the Executive Director of the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), Dr. George Lugalambi, explained that certain narratives tend to overshadow some candidates, drawing significant public attention and, in some cases, fueling tension and chaos.

He urged journalists to critically unpack and interrogate narratives framed around candidates so that the public is not misled into engaging in conflicts that often lead to avoidable trouble.

While closing the Uganda Media week 2025, the Chairperson of the Uganda Media Council, Paulo Ekochu, commended Media Focus on Africa, together with the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), for organizing an event that creates space for conversations aimed at improving the lives and working conditions of journalists.

However, he emphasized the need for media house owners to provide safety gear for journalists, especially during high-risk assignments.

He cited the Kawempe by-elections as an example, where many journalists were physically harassed while lacking protective equipment, resulting in health complications.

This year’s Uganda Media Week was organized under the theme: “Building Resilience, Safeguarding Independent Journalism.”