Adieu, adieu, adieu 2011, the year of Walk to work protests, Oil and what more, yes the year of financial tectonic movements in the national economy, creating rifts in the financial state of households.
The editorial team wishes all our subscribers, readers, professional colleagues’ best wishes for a very happy and successful new year 2012.
We take a special moment to express our gratitude to our contributing reporters, bureau chiefs and freelance reporters for your invaluable contributions that have raised URN’s profile this year.
The turnaround this year has been significant. URN looks back and can strongly raise our voices and say “we made it”!.
URN prides itself on being a truly national news agency bringing a sustained coverage of major news events that rocked the Nation all year round.
In January, the combative political campaigns in Mwenge, Our reporters questioned the Electoral commission on the excess electoral ballot materials and why were yellow fever cards being shunned? We gave the answer.
In February, URN journalists and freelance reporters armed with notebooks, microphones and recorders, descended onto the polling stations and brought a comprehensive coverage of the national elections. It was both a roller coaster election, – Candidates moved door to door in last minute campaigns, in Sironko, polling officials were accused of ballot stuffing.
The election season was also adrenaline charged, – UPC’s Robert Kanusu raided a polling station and disrupted the elections there, and DP sought to block Bukomansimbi vote recount.
Can I say the elections were nerve racking too – perhaps if we look back at the 2000 voters that missed the elections in Butembe constituency.
For some Journalists it was a terrifying moment – journalists were beaten and armed gangs terrorized polling stations in Rubaga division and Moses Kasibante petitioned the high court to block a vote recount.
With no time to recover from the election fever, URN crossed to March and followed through the protests against the results. The Mukono North MP was sued for bribery, while the Kakuuto MP was dragged to court for forged academic papers.
April ushered in a historic protest- the Walk to work protests against High food and fuel prices spearheaded by Kiiza Besigye and URN brought the highs and lows of the protests.
The deaths, injuries, arrests, teargas etc. President Museveni was sworn on May 12th and URN brought the tits and bits including the low turn up, the parallel arrival of Besigye from Nairobi, and all the chaos that ensued.
With inflation rising and the economy tightening, June was a moment to reflect on the National Budget and what it meant for the local ordinary Ugandan.
In July our correspondent Regina Deng-Mayok in South Sudan witnessed and brought our readers the story of the birth of Africa’s and the World’s newest Nation South Sudan.
The UWA inquest into a multi-million shilling tourism project gone berserk was aptly covered between July and September and oh what a month of Oil.
October and November was dominated by the oil debate, not that Ugandans was already flowing with oil, but some fishy deals smelled and attracted the attention of some legislators. URN’s parliament reporters followed the story.
December is here and as we wade through to the new year, the URN editorial team and all those involved in the gathering, processing and dissemination of information not forgetting the administration, are determined to maintain and enhance the Status of URN as a leading News Agency in the country.
We however believe that this can be achieved with the continued patternship and cooperation between the staff, sources, subscribers and our loyal readers.
On behalf of the editorial team I would like to pledge our commitment to improve and promote our role and look forward to a fruitful 2012.
Happy New Year