Uganda Journalists Union (UJU Hails President Museveni for Re- Opening of Nation Media group (NMG) with a call to Improve Journalists welfare.

 By Nathan Ngobi

KAMPALA, UGANDA — The Uganda Journalists Union (UJU) has hailed and deeply appreciated President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for authorizing the resumption of operations for Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda. This decisive intervention ends a one-month shutdown that severely tested our media landscape, the livelihoods of media workers, and the wider national economy.

Ms. Nalule Evelyne the President of Uganda Journalists Union (UJU) in a press released noted that   as we welcome this restoration of operations, the Union presents some key observations and strategic appeals to the government and media stakeholders:

She said that there need to have presidential leadership and constructive engagements and decisive action: “We commend President Museveni for his wise counsel and leadership in resolving the administrative and security standoff that led to the month-long closure of NMG outlets, including NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, Spark TV, KFM, and Dembe FM” Nalule Pointed out.

.While on the other point of balanced governance she said that such intervention underscores the NRM government’s enduring and commitment to balancing vital national security interests with the fundamental space required for independent, vibrant, and responsible public communication.

Nalule added that humanitarian plight of jobless journalists and dependents at the NMG faces immediate economic toll: pointing out that the month-long suspension left over 1,142 media employees, technicians, and support staff uncertain of their daily bread. This directly exposed thousands of innocent dependents to immediate risks of rent eviction, school fees defaults, and medical crises.

While on the Psychological Strain: the UJU president noted that the sudden job halts created deep mental health stress for media breadwinners who rely entirely on monthly wages to support extended families within our communal African social setup.

Ms Evelyne Nalule said that the media sector is a vital pillar of the broader economy and by shutting down major media houses choke the advertising, printing, distribution, and SME supply chains that keep hundreds of small businesses afloat.

She added that by restoring normal operations of NMG signals to local, regional, and international investors—including major corporate shareholders—that Uganda remains stable, predictable, and open for lawful commercial enterprise.

She called upon Government through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to actively include media practitioners in state-driven wealth-creation frameworks, such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, and the GROW project, also the   establishment of a Minimum Wage, where he asked the government and Parliament to institute a mandatory minimum wage specifically tailored for journalists. This statutory floor will curb corporate exploitation, guarantee fair compensation, and secure a dignified life for media professionals.

According to Evelyne Nalule , UJU proposes a formal collaboration between UJU, the Ministry of ICT, and media sector partners to introduce modern capacity-building grants, professional equipment subsidies, and SACCO-driven housing cooperatives for accredited journalists across the country.

While on Professional Responsibility and Ethical Journalism Evelyne Nalule strongly advises all journalists to prioritize balanced, factual, and verified reporting to safeguard themselves against criminal charges such as defamation, sectarianism, or spreading fake news.

: “Always give all parties to a story an equal and fair opportunity to respond before publishing, ensuring your work meets the highest ethical standards of the profession. to avoid consequences of poor conduct: reckless, unprofessional, and unbalanced reporting which directly triggers state friction, ultimately leading to catastrophic media closures and immediate job losses for innocent colleagues”. Evelyne Nalule pointed out.

On  Legal matters UJU calls Journalists to  stick  on Professional adherence to the Media Council guidelines and the Journalist Code of ethics remains the ultimate defence against legal vulnerabilities, protecting both individual careers and media institutions.

Ms Evelyne Nalule revealed that the media is a partner in national development, not an adversary therefore, reopening NMG Uganda and addressing the economic dignity of its workers, the government reinforces the foundations of our media freedom and democracy. She called upon all journalists to practice professional, balanced, and developmental journalism as we collectively work towards a prosperous Uganda.