The Bukoto Central MP, who famously defeated VP Edward Sekandi in 2021, was speaking at a Parliamentary journalists event at a hotel in Ntinda this Friday. Sebamala wondered why journalists who are champions of fighting for rights of other groups, can just keep quiet when their rights are being violated. He also demamded to know why their colleagues get mistreated even at Parliament and they just keep quiet.
He made reference to some NTV journalists who recently were locked out and denied access to Parliament yet they had been accredited and the rest of the colleagues did nothing. UPPA President Sam Ibanda Mugabi tried to explain his unsuccessful interventions but Sebamala and other MPs present rejected the same as unsatisfactory.
Sebamala wondered why journalists can just keep quiet when their employers abuse their rights by refusing to pay them for their work. We would like to fact-check the MP on this by disclosing the fact those employers or media companies owners are actually not making money to be able to pay. They are financially more stressed than their employees largely because of poor government policies, which have made the economy struggle and work for very few people who have access to state power and patronage.
Sebamala also wondered why MPs can't lobby the Parliamentary Commission and get themselves paid some monthly allowance the way its done for Police personnel who are seconded to work at Parliament (earning Shs1.3m in allowances per month). He also said there is a lot that isn't going well at Parliament including a lot of MPs living under fear for the Speaker yet journalists can't write about it so that the same can spark off scrutiny and some debate in the country. He then named David Kabanda and Cissy Namujju as some of actors always out to spread fear while cowing fellow MPs for the appeasement of the Speaker.
Негізгі бет MPs to Speaker: If Policemen get 1.3m monthly, why not pay journalists too?
Пікірлер