KAMPALA — Veteran journalist and commentator Andrew M. Mwenda has backtracked on his fierce opposition to state-funded enterprises, apologizing to award-winning scientist Dr. Matthias Magoola, President Yoweri Museveni and others he recently criticised.
The turnaround comes after Presient Museveni publicly called out Mwenda for lack of journalistic rigour and armchair analysis. Writing in his regular column on Monday, May 26, Mwenda openly admitted that he threw professional ethics out the window by branding the scientists as conmen and witch doctors without bothering to visit their projects or interview them.
Mwenda conceded that the president exposed critical flaws in his reporting, acknowledging that his standard operating procedure failed the basic tests of natural justice and fair reporting.
“As a journalist who believes in the principle of fairness and balance, and as a person who believes in the principle of natural justice, again, I was professionally and personally wrong and unfair to the people I criticized,” Mwenda wrote.
Expressing regret over his choice of words, Mwenda confessed that his disparaging language made him sound more like a political activist than the intellectual he aspires to be.
“So I want to apologize to the President and also to Magoola and Senfuka. I was unfair to them when I called them conmen and witch doctors. It is utterly unjustified to insult someone that way. In fact that framing undermines the policy argument I was making. Besides, I always advise young people that we can disagree without being disagreeable. I feel bad that I wrote in such a bad language, like a NUP activist rather than a journalist and an intellectual that I aspire to be,” he wrote.
President Museveni in a massive at the weekend dismantled Mwenda’s professional standing and patriotism after the commentator insinuated the 82-year-old head of state was senile for supporting indigenous scientists like Dr. Magoola.
The president turned the tables on the motormouthed critic, accusing him of happily cohabiting with foreign interests that bleed Africa of its wealth through the export of unprocessed raw materials.
The president dared Mwenda to leave his social media echo chamber and verify the massive industrial assets being built by the very individuals he routinely demeans.
“You are supposed to be a journalist. Why do you not interview these ‘conmen’ such as Magoola, Senfuka, etc.?” Museveni asked. “They are here in Uganda. They are where you can reach them and even the assets they have put on the ground. Visit Magoola’s factories in Matugga and Kamuli.”
In response, Mwenda also conceded ground on the broader economic debate. While he previously targeted government intervention, Mwenda now admits that Museveni’s policy of injecting risk capital into domestic startups is necessary due to the lack of private venture funds in Africa.
Despite the heavy backtracking, Mwenda attempted to salvage some footing by arguing that while the policy is sound, the execution remains flawed. He maintained that state funding should be managed by robust institutions with strict performance targets, rather than being determined by personal access to the president.
In a bid to repair the damage, Mwenda has promised Museveni that he will cease his commentary on these specific individuals. He announced plans to visit the manufacturing plants owned by Magoola to conduct the firsthand journalistic inspection he skipped the first time around.
