By Nasser Kasozi Akandwanaho
The government Uganda through immigration has deported two foreign journalists who were covering events surrounding the 2021 general elections for Canadian-based international media house, CBC News.
According to the CBC News European Correspondent Margaret Evans, their journalists, Lily Martin and J.F Bisson were ordered out of Uganda on Friday last week, despite being authorized by the Uganda Media Centre to cover news around the country.
Evans said in the tweet, “#Ugandan gov’t avoiding outside scrutiny of Jan elections already. We were deported Friday even though we had official media credentials. Here @lily_martin & @JF_BISSON 10 hours into detention before being put on a plane,”
One of the two journalists, Lily Martin said that the pair held official press credentials to carry out their trade in the country and their deportations suffocates foreign scrutiny of the upcoming 2021 general elections.
According to the CBC News however was not clear about the circumstances leading to their deportation.
In a reply, government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo said Uganda does not need any foreign scrutiny into its internal matters.
“Do we really need you to scrutinize our electoral process to qualify as credible? Uganda reserves the right to admit foreign persons including journalists. Good stay where you are,” Opondo said.
Early this month, Homeland Newspaper learnt that the government of Uganda also deported NGO chief, Simon Osborn – Country Director of National Democratic Institute who had worked in Uganda for 7 years. Osborn’s deportation was connected to National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine
