KAMPALA, UGANDA – A row has broken out between Uganda’s government and rural radio stations over demands for free airtime to promote a national identification registration drive.
The Rural Broadcasters Owners Association of Uganda (RUBA) has instructed its members to refuse the government’s request, citing operational costs and concerns over misuse of the allocated “government hour” on radio.
“We can’t provide free airtime for every government campaign,” RUBA chairperson Julius Tumusiime told UG Standard. “It is unfortunate that organizations like NIRA, which have structured plans, behave as though they have no budget for communication. Broadcasters must be involved in such decisions.”
The controversy centers on the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) registration exercise, which aims to register all Ugandan citizens.
Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Kakande Yunus, reminded broadcasters that, by law, they are required to allocate at least one hour weekly for strategic national events, including the NIRA campaign.
However, RUBA claims that Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) have been allocating the government hour to various agencies without consulting radio stations, effectively bypassing their control.
“It was really a misuse of the arrangement,” Mr. Tumusiime said. “We see RDCs’ offices giving away the hour without any input from us, and yet we bear the operational costs.”
Obed Kibaya Kithende, Production Manager at Messiah Radio in Kasese, echoed RUBA’s concerns. “Like for us, we don’t get to decide how the government hour is spent, yet it affects our business operations,” he said.
Raphael Orisa, Managing Director of West Nile Broadcasting Services Limited, called for amended Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) guidelines to define national events.
“When it comes to license fees, UCC even closes radios if payments are delayed, yet they provide no support when we face issues,” Mr. Orisa lamented. “They behave like the Uganda Revenue Authority – they only care about collecting fees, not the survival of our businesses.”
