M7 Lifts Ban on Advertising Only on UBC

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has lifted the ban on government Ministries, Departments and Agencies advertising with private media houses.

‪On Thursday afternoon at State House Entebbe, President Museveni met media houses under their umbrella body the National Association of Broadcasters.‬ They raised a concern of lost revenues due to a directive he issued on channeling all government advertising business to UBC and New Vision. 

"This directive was never intended to harm the private sector but to help revitalize UBC. We have therefore agreed that we shall give gov't media entities some preferential treatment while still giving the private companies an opportunity to remain in business," Museveni told the broadcasters. He further cautioned (NAB) to always be patriotic and avoid promoting politics of identity.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, President Museveni instructed that all government advertising should be conducted solely through state media, particularly the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC).

The directive further stated that any accounting officer deviating from this instruction would face dismissal.

The decision was prompted by a letter from UBC’s Managing Director, Winston Agaba, highlighting underfunding, alleged denial of government advertising, and the mounting debt burden faced by UBC.