The ugly hidden face of United Nations Human Rights hits journalists

By Staff Reporter

The United Nations Human Rights, Kampala Office, organized a training for journalists to equip them with skills and necessary tools to cover the 2021 elections in Uganda.

It was a good thing; and the goal was achieved because journalists, at the end of the training were overheard reciting the facts they had learnt from the training.

They were taught: Truthful reporting; balanced reporting; how to tell the truth to the public; how to inform and educate the public; highlight human rights rights and violations and safety. They were also taught how to report gender sensitive issues; fake news and disinformation as threat to independent journalism and how to combat fake news.

Journalists were also briefed on the preventive measures of COVID-19; introduced to Human Rights basic concepts; highlighted Human Rights violations that generally affect elections; they were also taught the relationship between Human Rights and Media Regulatory environment; and they discussed journalism, human rights and elections’ critical issues for Uganda and the critical issues in covering human rights in times of elections.

Surprisingly, the seemingly advocates for human rights; have been established the leading abusers of human rights. The champions of human rights violated the rights of journalists.

The training was held at Protea Hotel Marriot in Entebbe from Monday, November 9th to Thursday, November 12th, 2020. Although the organizers paid up all the nights out including meals; break fast, lunch and dinner. They denied journalists their “per diem.”  They promised the journalists “transport refund,” which also never came as they claimed internet network breakdown.

This is the problem with most of the organizations, which claim to fight corruption and human rights. They requisition for millions and use less money, yet the messengers to deliver their messages are cheated. United Nations Human Rights, Kampala office is one of them. Journalists checked out of the hotel rooms at 9:00am but by 1200 noon they were still stranded.