A Canadian journalist is facing deportation from Uganda over his coverage of political events in the country.
Mr Blake Lambert, a correspondent for The Economist and Christian Science Monitor is caught up in a battle between the Media Council, the official regulator of the media in Uganda and the newly created government Media Centre.
In January, the Media Centre, run by Mr Robert Kabushenga (below) denied Blake new accreditation. The centre also reduced the working permit of Will Ross, the country correspondent for BBC to four months from one year.
According to various correspondences seen by Daily Monitor, the Media Council has advised the government to ask Blake to leave the country since his visa has expired.
The communication between Minister of Information, Dr James Nsaba Buturo, and chairperson of the Media Council, Fr John Mary Waliggo also showed a disagreement between the two institutions.
In a letter dated February 8 in response to pressure from Buturo and Kabushenga to deny Blake accreditation, Waliggo said his diverse council, has "members with various political affiliations and ideas."
Buturo had on January 19 said the government was of the view that Blake's working permit should not be renewed.
"It is never easy to push them (journalists) in one direction," Waliggo wrote.
" The view that seemed to us convenient is to use the immigration rules, since Lambert's visa is over and ask him to leave and from his home re-apply for the visa and when he does so, the visa is denied."
When contacted, Blake said his visa expires today.
The Secretary to the Media Council, Mr Paul Mukasa, had on February 3 written to Waliggo saying the objections made by the government were not strong enough to deny Blake accreditation but that the issue had become politically hot.
On Febuary 1, Kabushenga wrote to the council describing Blake's work as false, biased and "prejudicial" to Uganda's foreign policy. He said Blake advanced the "views of opposition politicians" and was a "partisan commentator of Uganda politics".
Regardless of this view however, the council was ready to grant Blake an extension of his permit but is now wary of the political consequences of doing so.
"Much as (the Council) would otherwise or legally wish to assist Blake to secure renewal, it may be difficult to sustain politically in view of the sensitivity and concern the State attaches to this matter," Mukasa said.
He said if the Media Council, which has the legal power to grant or deny accreditation to all journalists, were to "override" Buturo’s concern, it would place the council on a war path with the State.
Mukasa said Buturo could use " any other law to block or deport" Blake.
The Uganda government stance to determine accreditation based on how fair a journalist was to the government has been roundly condemned by local and international civil society organisations.
The government was also cautioned on the creeping power of the Media Centre, an organisation under the President's office.
