Against a backdrop of animated debate on Uganda's emerging oil industry, journalists and government representatives had a rare chance to sit down informally to discuss the central issue of government secrecy in its dealings with oil and mining companies.
Twenty-five editors and reporters met with officials and civil society members in Kampala, Uganda, for an "editor briefing" on transparency and accountability. The 21 November meeting was part of RWI's media training program for journalists covering oil, gas and mining issues in Africa, convened in partnership with the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME).
Godber Tumushabe, executive director of Ugandan NGO Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, began by discussing the broad context surrounding oil issues.
"Oil reporting is about everything about this country," he said, explaining how the industry impacts livelihoods, politics, the economy, social development and the environment. "Any attempt to compartmentalize it would be a disservice to the country."
Drawing on the ideas of American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, Tumushabe laid out what he defined as the key elements of governance that are critical for transparency in the oil sector: state capacity, rule of law, democratic institutions and an engaged public.
While Uganda's parliament is consumed with discussions over oil contract secrecy, Tumushabe discussed what he considered to be "consensus issues" when it comes to oil governance in Uganda. There is wide agreement among the public that "government and industry are less than transparent in their current dealings on oil" and that only government officials believe otherwise.
Tumushabe quoted two 2010 editorials published by the country's leading dailies on successive days. "Be transparent on oil exploration," implored New Vision on February 19. "Spare Ugandans the oil curse," demanded Saturday Monitor on February 20. According to Tumushabe, a policy analyst and widely-respected civil society activist, "The government needs the citizens to be on its side in order to engage effectively with the oil companies."
In a statement read at the meeting, Fred Kabagambe-Kaliisa, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, said that Uganda's oil and gas policy "states that openness and access to information are fundamental rights in activities that may positively or negatively impact individuals, communities and states."
"It is important that information that will enable stakeholders to assess how their interests are being affected is disclosed in a responsible manner," Kabagambe-Kaliisa continued.
A communications officer for the ministry, Bukenya Matovu, added that, in order for journalists to understand the value chain for oil and gas, they need to first understand the value chain of familiar products such as coffee or food staples such as matooke, or green bananas.
"Our problem in the ministry has been people who are not interested in reporting the hard facts but the corridor stories," Matovu said while advising journalists to avoid stories based on hearsay. "We want to engage people who have the competence and capacity to discuss issues."
Pressed to explain why the government has disclosed little about its dealings with oil companies, Matovu said, "The oil and gas sector is new. All of us have been learning on the job, to the extent that information sharing has become secondary." He promised a new beginning marked by openness and willingness to share information.
Peter Mwesige, executive director of ACME, said he hoped that "editors will appreciate the need for their reporters to be informed about the critical issues in the oil and gas sector."
