Uganda’s privately owned television and radio stations have declined to broadcast a presidential message promoting the upcoming national census, citing a lack of funding.
Despite a directive from the state-linked Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) for broadcasters to give the census “maximum publicity” at no cost, the stations have stood firm in their decision.
President Yoweri Museveni had recorded a video message explaining the significance of participating in the census. However, the stations refused to air it.
The government has declared Friday a public holiday to facilitate citizens’ full participation in the National Housing and Population Census, a 10-day exercise conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) to gather social and demographic data for effective government planning.
Although Mr. Museveni’s message was shared on social media, urging cooperation with data collectors, the UCC ordered all local broadcasters to air the message throughout the census period.
However, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) expressed reservations, stating that while broadcasters provided free coverage during national emergencies, pre-planned events like the census should be funded by the government.
NAB chairman Innocent Nahabwe emphasized the financial obligations of media outlets and the need for appropriate funding for compliance with such directives.
As a result, the stations have declined to comply with the UCC directive, citing the lack of appropriate funding.
Uganda’s sixth national census will utilize digital systems for the first time, with the last census in 2014 estimating the population at 36 million. Current estimates suggest a population of about 45 million.
