Kampala, Uganda: Uganda's
government on Wednesday banned
one of the country's main television
stations from covering presidential
events after it aired images which it
said showed President Yoweri
Museveni having a snooze in
parliament.
"The president has habits, he
meditates and they know it, and still
they go out and say he was
sleeping," government media centre
manager Dennis Katungi told AFP.
Government spokesman Ofwono
Opondo confirmed that NTV Uganda,
part of the Nation Media Group and
east and central Africa's largest
independent media house, would be
punished.
"We have suspended their coverage
of the president as we reconsider
our relationship with them," he said,
accusing NTV of a "lack of
professionalism and biased
coverage".
"The suspension should not be
permanent, it's temporary, to make
them think," Katungi added.
Museveni, aged 69, is one of Africa's
longest-serving leaders, and has led
the impoverished east African nation
since 1986.
NTV Uganda said they had not been
informed of the suspension.
Last year the government shut the
country's two main independent
newspapers for 10 days after they
reported arguments among army
generals over whether the
president's son should succeed him.
government on Wednesday banned
one of the country's main television
stations from covering presidential
events after it aired images which it
said showed President Yoweri
Museveni having a snooze in
parliament.
"The president has habits, he
meditates and they know it, and still
they go out and say he was
sleeping," government media centre
manager Dennis Katungi told AFP.
Government spokesman Ofwono
Opondo confirmed that NTV Uganda,
part of the Nation Media Group and
east and central Africa's largest
independent media house, would be
punished.
"We have suspended their coverage
of the president as we reconsider
our relationship with them," he said,
accusing NTV of a "lack of
professionalism and biased
coverage".
"The suspension should not be
permanent, it's temporary, to make
them think," Katungi added.
Museveni, aged 69, is one of Africa's
longest-serving leaders, and has led
the impoverished east African nation
since 1986.
NTV Uganda said they had not been
informed of the suspension.
Last year the government shut the
country's two main independent
newspapers for 10 days after they
reported arguments among army
generals over whether the
president's son should succeed him.
