KAMPALA – The media has demonstrated that they too can beat the army after all — but only in a game of football.
At the weekend, a team of Media CEOs floored the UPDF Generals 3-1 while a select team of Journalists from different media Houses beat the UPDF team of officers and men 3-0.
The friendly football matches with the media fraternity during the Uganda Peoples Forces-UPDF – Media Day has promised a new era of working relationship between the two sides. The two matches were held at the Phillip Omondi Stadium in Kampala on Friday.
The Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Gen. David Muhoozi led the UPDF team while Kin Kariisa, the Chairperson of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) captained the media managers.
In first game, Gen. Mbadi opened the scoring for the UPDF Generals but the Media CEOs brought on Ben Mwine who spearheaded a comeback scoring one and creating the other two for Joe Kigozi.
In the second game, the Journalist’s team captained by PML Daily‘s Alex B. Atuhaire won 3-0, with Julius Kafuluma of Bukedde newspaper as Sanyuka TV’s Baker Kigongo added two others to spoil the evening for Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki, the custodian of the UPDF in that encounter.
Gen. Katumba Wamala who was the chief guest on the occasion hailed the initiative as a masterstroke of civil-military relations.
UPDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Flavia Byekwaso described the initiative as the beginning of a new era.
She said more and more activities will be held in, which the two sides will be discussing issues that divide them.
The initiative is an attempt to mend ties between media and security forces following the heating general elections in which, soldiers made headlines for assaulting journalists covering campaigns and post campaign events.
