The Bamasaaba cultural leadership has called on owners of radio stations, TV stations, and newspapers in the Bugisu region and beyond to prioritize fair and formal employment terms for journalists.
Speaking during a UNESCO workshop held in Mbale City, Steven Masiga, the spokesperson of the Bamasaaba cultural institution, urged media proprietors to ensure that journalists are adequately paid and offered proper employment benefits.
Masiga acknowledged and appreciated media owners for creating jobs for local residents but emphasized the need for better employment conditions.
He noted that informal research indicates that over 80% of journalists in the Bugisu region lack formal deployment contracts. Most do not even possess identification documents, which would typically come with official appointment letters or contracts.
“Even domestic workers like housemaids and kadama have employment letters. How then can journalists, who perform the critical role of informing the public and defending citizens’ rights, operate without proper documentation?” Masiga asked.
He further criticized some media owners for failing to provide salaries and remit statutory contributions such as NSSF savings. “Failure to pay salaries and contribute to NSSF is a criminal offense under the NSSF Act and the Penal Code,” he warned.
Masiga made these remarks during the workshop organized in Mbale City, which aimed to equip journalists with skills as they prepare for the upcoming general elections and other significant national activities.
