Reporters without borders
The retired journalist and author of a recent book about Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was killed in a town just north of the country’s capital on 19 April. Joe Nam had previously worked for the largely state-owned outlet New Vision. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the authorities to identify those responsible for his murder and bring them to justice as soon as possible.
Joe Nam was killed by a masked individual near his home in Kawanda on the night of 18–19 April. The unidentified attacker then fled the scene with the journalist’s mobile phone, leaving his computers behind, according to a former colleague at New Vision.
Although the 55-year-old was officially retired, he continued to train young journalists and specialised in media consultancy. In 2024, he published a book titled The Day Museveni Goes, addressing issues related to a potential transition in the highest echelons of power. Police in Kawempe, a district in the capital, Kampala, opened a murder investigation on 19 April.
“In a country where attacks on the press and journalists are frequent, and where self-censorship and economic pressure on the media are commonplace, the police must examine the possibility of a crime linked to his work. The murder of a former journalist, respected by his peers and regarded as a role model by his peers, must not go unpunished. RSF calls on the Ugandan authorities to identify those responsible and swiftly bring them to justice.
Journalism is difficult in Uganda, particularly since President Yoweri Museveni came to power in 1986. The climate in the media is marked by hostility towards both outlets and journalists, who are publicly accused of “sabotaging the country.” During election periods, journalists are frequently targeted.
Journalists targeted during elections
At least five journalists have been assaulted by political activists or security forces since September 2025, and at least 18 were violently attacked by security forces while covering legislative by-elections in a northern district of Kampala between February and March 2025, including one who nearly lost sight in one of his eyes.
Last January, during the presidential and parliamentary elections, three foreign journalists were expelled from the country despite holding valid accreditations. The internet was shut down on the eve of the elections, and several independent international organisations, including the Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ Uganda) and the African Centre of Excellence for Media (ACME), both based in Kampala, saw their activities suspended by the National Bureau for NGOs.
