In what some observers may view as a move toward message control rather than transparency, the Ugandan government has launched the National Strategic Communications Committee (NSCC), a body comprised of public and private sector representatives tasked with streamlining and centralizing state communication. The stated goal? To project a “more accurate and unified national image.”
At the commissioning ceremony, Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, Minister of State for Information Communication and Technology, framed the initiative as necessary to influence how Uganda is perceived at home and abroad. “The media plays a critical role in shaping how Uganda is perceived both locally and internationally,” she said.
But critics may raise eyebrows at the underlying implication: Uganda’s international image problem lies less in governance or policy failures and more in how these issues are reported.
Odrek Rwabwogo, Chair of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), attributed global and local skepticism to inconsistent government messaging.
He underscored that importance of a collective vision, noting that the lack of a harmonized narrative was doing more damage than the issues themselves.
Marcella Karekye, Special Presidential Assistant for Communication, who delivered an analysis titled “Persistent Misreporting That Affects the Image of Uganda and Its Exports” stressed the need to manage the country’s perception.
“Every country has problems, but you don’t find them on the front page every day. We need to look out for the good things & publish them,” she insisted.
This perspective reflects a growing concern among international media watchdogs, that the government is prioritizing image over accountability.
Adding to this sentiment, Dr. Paul Mwambu from the Ministry of Agriculture warned about the impact of critical journalism on Uganda’s export potential.
He stressed that there is a consistent pattern of alarmist publicity by local media, but noted that when interrogated, the authors often lack the technical knowledge.
He argued that negative press coverage may be uninformed and detrimental to national interests.
While the committee’s formation marks a strategic shift in government communication, it also raises key questions: Is Uganda confronting the root causes of its perception challenges, or simply reshaping the narrative?
President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly expressed frustration over certain media outlets distorting his message to serve their own interests.
On several occasions, these outlets have issued apologies for their inaccurate reporting.
