Ms Irene Kaggwa the UCC executive director notified this website that UCC on 15th June shut down 93.5 Joshua FM, a Katakwi – based radio station owned by the former Cabinet Minister Grace Akello for accumulated debts annual broadcasting licence and operating illegally for close to six years even after receiving several warnings.
Curtsy picture of the former Minister Grace Akello.
The Uganda Communications commission (UCC) has confirmed the closure of a radio station belonging to president Museveni’s former cabinet minister and Principal Secretary over failure to clear the payment of broadcasting licenses.
Ms. Irene Kaggwa, the UCC executive director, disclosed to this website that on 15th June 2023, the commission switched off 93.5 Joshua FM, a Katakwi – based radio station owned by Ms Grace Akello for nonpayment of the annual broadcasting license and operating illegally for over six years despite several warnings and reminders.
Ms Akello was a former presidential principal secretary who was later appointed Ambassador to Rome and India. “Under the Communications Act, no person should broadcast without a licence. Previously, we would give a one-year broadcasting licence but in 2020, the commission introduced a new process to facilitate station owners if they wanted financial support because the one year licence wouldn’t enable them to get credit,” Ms Kaggwa said.
She explained that since 2020, all owners of radio stations are required to obtain the five-year broadcasting licences.
Despite several reminders and warnings, she said, the management of Joshua FM did not comply and they were forced to commence the process of withdrawing the radio licence.
On Friday, Ms Akello, who worked as President Museveni’s Principal Private Secretary from 2010 to 2012, wept before journalists after revealing that despite paying a fine of Shs23m as required by law, UCC closed her radio station and gave away its frequency to another person.
She said the radio, which she has owned since 2006, was established by her friends in the UK to facilitate communication aimed at pacifying the Teso Sub-region after the insurgency. The radio station used to reach places as far as Karamoja, Acholi, Lango and Bugisu.
She said her efforts to meet responsible and officials from UCC to reopen the station have not yielded any results. “It is true there were years when licence fees were not paid but we sat down with management and paid all fees. They told us to get a band pass filter and also install a fire extinguisher and we did all these things but after all this, we were told the frequency has been allocated to another person,” she said.
Ms Kaggwa said the former PPS has to apply for another radio frequency.
In 1996, she became a member of the Parliament of Uganda and in 1999 was appointed Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development.
From 1999 to 2006, she was a member of the Cabinet of Uganda, She held the position of Minister of Microfinance Initiatives from 1999 to 2003, and the Minister of Northern Uganda from 2003 until losing her seat in 2006. Grace Akello Went on to become the Ugandan ambassador to Italy, based in Rome and recently became the Ugandan ambassador in New Delhi, India, supplying ambassadorial support across the whole Indian subcontinent