By Hannington Mbabazi
Kampala: In an effort to resolve issues of mis-coordination in communication of government positions on various issues, the Taskforce on Government Communications and National Guidance has presented the final National Communications Policy and National Guidance Policy to the permanent secretary ministry for ICT and National Guidance Dr. Aminah Zawedde.
According to the taskforce, Uganda Government has suffered a significant loss of trust among a substantial population due to uncoordinated communications.
It says increasingly, the country has witnessed scenes of Government officials contradicting themselves or communicating different positions on policy and Government programmes. In some cases, officials criticize one another.
“As a result, public confidence in government communications is lost, creating a gap filled by alternative media sources and fake news” it says.
It adds that government’s communications are usually delayed due to the absence of a mechanism to quickly reach a common position by the responsible Ministries, Departments & Agencies and Local Governments and communicate this position accurately and timely.
“Consequently, speculation and misinformation thrive on closing this gap, primarily through alternative communication channels, misleading the local and international people,” it says.
The taskforce says the developed National Communications Policy seeks to mitigate the above challenges, ensure effective communication, especially as Uganda implements critical national, regional and global plans, programmes, and policies to improve the quality of people’s lives. These include Vision 2040 and associated National Development Plan III, Agenda for Sustainable Development, East African Common Market Protocol and the NRM Manifesto (2021-26).
Dr. Zawedde commended the National Taskforce on Communications and National Guidance for speeding up the process, adding that the ministry shall now submit them to Cabinet for approval.
“Once approved, the policies will anchor all of Government efforts that relate to Government communications and National Guidance’. These also will spur one to love Uganda & have a desire to see it become the best version of itself, to point out its failures, to recognize how we each have been complicit in allowing its negative to persist, to work together to create an environment in which every citizen has all that they need — love, food, health, peace, prosperity — and are truly treated as equals in every regard,” she said.
Meanwhile, the deputy coordinator for operation wealth creation, Maj Gen. Kavuma noted that in this era of advancements and technology; humans are developing intelligence to unimaginable extents including creation of artificial intelligence.
“Individualism is killing our country, the task is upon you the taskforce, is to ensure that your policies address ways we can kill this issue of individualism so that we can rediscover our love for our nation,” Gen Kavuma said.
Led by Dr Arthur Sserwanga and deputized by Marcella Karekye, the Government Communications & National Guidance Taskforce was been formed to guide the Ministry of Information Communication Technology to ensure that Government communications are consistent, relevant and understandable.
The Taskforce includes distinguished communications professionals from public and private sectors, who have extensive experience in mindset change and communications.
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