Uganda walks to work with social media

As Yoweri Museveni begins his new term as President of Uganda, the simple act of walking to work has taken on a whole new meaning.

Last month, a loose coalition of opposition political parties and civil society groups known as Activists for Change called on people to walk to work as a way of showing concerns of rising fuel and food prices.

However, the government’s heavy crack down on the Walk to Work marches has made headlines around the world – particularly with photos and footage showing opposition leader Kizza Besigye being pepper sprayed and brutally dragged away by police.

According to Human Rights Watch nine people have been killed during clashes with police.

Pivotal in the #walk2work campaign was the use of social networks Facebook and Twitter to disseminate information to followers.

“’On Monday we shall shine a light on the plight of those Ugandans who now more than ever cannot afford a taxi or boda-boda fare. We shall show our solidarity with the parents who cannot put a meal on the table for their little ones due to the rise in food prices. We shall do this simply by walking together with ordinary Ugandans to our place of work and then we shall repeat the exercise every Thursday and Monday until the government pays heed to our demand to intervene and guarantee affordable food and fuel prices.”

Social movement and social media

When the protests started in April, many people assumed it would happen once and then the opposition will get over it, as they always do. But surprisingly it has not stopped. There appears to be a very real determination for this movement to gain traction.

For anyone interested in the protests, especially the media, the hashtags #UgandaWalks and #walk2work have become the must follow searches on Twitter. On Facebook, Activists For Change was the main site to follow for information on their activities:

“Look out for route leaders and join them in solidarity to walk to work on Monday. The walkers will begin early with the aim of being in the city before 9:00 am, so be on the main roads from these locations as early as 7:30 am. Please let us know if you would like to lead a route. Thanks! “

The Ground Rules:

§ Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful

§ No provocation

§ Do not be provoked

§ Keep your actions lawful and orderly

§ Do not attract unnecessary attention to yourself

§ Obey any lawful instructions from the Police except any attempt to stop you from walking to work!

§ Enjoy yourself, share experiences with other walkers,

§ Tell your story on Facebook, Twitter and update it as often as possible

§ If you need legal help or first aid call ask any of the route leaders to help. The legal team is headed by Abdu Katuntu

As well as updates from participants and supporters:

“Just walked from my house to Charles Lwanga church, Gaba. It took 57 minutes. I am so unfit. Got there at the end of the English service. Suffice it to say it was tough. I doubt our political class shall manage to walk. They are much to selfish to do it. Glad that today did not pay tax or private profiteers to get to church.” (Facebook user)

Blocking information

While opposition parties and civil society groups have turned to social media as a way of organising and disseminating information, Ugandan authorities have also recognised the power of social media and have made attempts to literally turn social media networks off in the country. On April 14 there were rumours that the Uganda Communications Commission had issued an order to all media houses to block social networking services. The government has tried to cover this up, but a copy of the letter has since surfaced and indeed there were a few places that had no access to Facebook and Twitter for some hours that day.

As I am preparing this post, the President of Uganda is being sworn in and all TV stations are awash with proceedings of the inauguration. However the opposition leader, Dr Kizza Besigye has also returned from Nairobi after receiving medical treatment for injuries during last month’s protests and his supporters are turning out on the streets to welcome him. Highly provocative on such a day when so many dignitaries are in Uganda for the President’s inauguration.

Only on Twitter are we able to keep up to date with developments and to get a sense of what is happening from protestors, eyewitnesses and of course journalist colleagues.

The Daily Monitor newspaper is regularly tweeting updates. That in itself is a totally new media breakthrough in Uganda – news being reported as it happens.

Worryingly however there have been many reports of journalists being stripped of their cameras and footage of the #walk2work protests. Others have been beaten and injured by police as Reporters Without Borders reported. Under these conditions and with either self censorship or political influence at play in some newsrooms, citizen reporting on Twitter and Facebook is in some part filling a gap in information available to people.

The challenge of course for journalists is to check facts and verify social media sources.

One Facebook user reported:

“No Newspaper on the street, and no Tv or radio on air. (There have been instances where the government has issued orders of no live coverage of the protests to media houses.)The financial costs to each media house will be huge but not as huge as the cost of our lives. – if there is a cost of our lives at all.”

In response to attacks and intimidation of journalists and media workers the Human Rights Network for Journalists and Uganda Journalists Association have staged a media black-out on all police, military and Uganda Media Centre organised functions and a boycott of all government functions.

Journalists can only hope that the Government will begin to address our concerns. In a letter published this week, President Museveni has condemned local and international media for their coverage of the protests.

Meanwhile, the #walk2work protests have reinforced Twitter becoming my news wire for new information. I get tips from useful sources and details on what is happening. And while not so many journalists in Uganda are on Facebook and Twitter, the few that are using these services, are making it worth the while. Their efforts need to be encouraged, and their skills of using social media strengthened.

Uganda is a country right now where it is dangerous to be a journalist. But as singer and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba said “A Luta Continua…”

Ruth Aine participated in a DW-AKADEMIE election reporting workshop for radio journalists that took place in Kampala in September 2010. She has been awarded a journalism scholarship from the Heinz-Kühn Foundation.