HRNJ-Uganda alert, Radio Manager fired over hosting opposition politicians Hoima, 15th/April/2 1!

" Spice FM radio in Hoima, Western Uganda has fired its station Manager, Geoffrey Magezi for hosting opposition politicians. Magezi, who has managed the station for over two years, was verbally dismissed on !th" #pril"$% &. 'n Sat(rday, $th #pril $% &, between )*$%pm+ %*,%pm local time, the station hosted the former opposition leader of the For(m for -emocratic .hange /F-.0 party , -r. 1izza 2esigye, the leader of the F-. Women3s3 leag(e 4ngrid 5(rinawe and the -emocratic 6arty 6resident 7orbert Mao among others to disc(ss electoral reforms in the r(n (p to the $% 8 general elections. 95he problem was hosting 1izza 2esigye witho(t his /#gaba3s0 consent. Since 4 was the manager, someone needed to be blamed and the blame ended (p in a sac:ing; o(r hosting of the politicians followed a recent Memorand(m of Understanding between the opposition politicians and the police not to stop s(ch foras.< Magezi told H=7>+Uganda in an interview. 5he station proprietor, ?dgar #gaba denied firing Magezi for hosting the opposition politicians. 95hat3s not the reason, b(t he flo(ted the r(les of the station li:e recording down the n(mbers of politicians before hosting them, writing down the tal:ing points for the host to follow and balancing the show by hosting someone from government among others. He failed to live by the r(les of the station, so 4 terminated his services. 4 can3t stand that at my radio@ yo( can A(ote me on this.< #gaba told H=7>+Uganda. 4n March this year, police stormed two radio stations in Western Uganda and ordered the (ntimely stopping of the tal: shows, while the politicians were bloc:ed from accessing two other stations within the region. =estriction of free flow of information is an inhibition to freedom of eBpression. We call (pon media proprietors to engage with their staff on reg(latory proced(res and standards rather than resorting to radical meas(res, said =obert Ssempala, the 7ational .oordinator, H=7>+Uganda.