Uganda - How to Make a Service Complain at Uganda Media Council

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Procedure

Apply In-Person

1. Individuals can raise complaints against a journalist in person, by visiting the Uganda Media Council offices .The contact information of the Uganda Media Council offices can be found in the “Office Location & Contact” Section of this page.
2. Here the applicant will be given a Public Complaint Form 1 to fill out, the Form is available at the Media Council secretariat and on its website check this LinkUganda Media council fill and submit. The application form can also downloaded from the Uganda Media Council’s official website through the following Uganda Media council link . Setting out the grounds for the complaint, nature of the injury or damage suffered and the remedy sought.
3. Fill in the application form and attach the required documents. A list of the required documents is mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
4. Submit the completed application form and all the required documents to Uganda Media Council Offices for processing of your application to begin. The complaint will be forwarded to the Committee of handling Complaints.
5. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Complaints Commission shall notify, in writing, the party against whom the complaint has been made, within fourteen-days of receipt of the complaint, stating the nature of the complaint, the breach of act or omission complained of and the date on which the matter shall be considered by the Commission.
6. The notice referred shall require the person against whom the complaint is made to respond to the complaint in writing or appear before it at the hearing of the complaint.
7. After considering each party’s submissions, the Commission shall then conduct a preliminary assessment to determine the admissibility or otherwise of the complaints lodged within fourteen days.
8. After undertaking a preliminary assessment of the Matter the Commission and being of the opinion that the complaint is devoid of merit or substance, dismiss such complaint with reasons.
9. Where the Commission considers there is a breach of the Act or Code it may facilitate an early resolution of the complaint by a referral to an inter parties mediation process within fourteen days.
   • The mediation process shall be voluntary, private and confidential.
   • This process usually completed after a period of fourteen days.
   • If the complaint is not resolved within 14 days, it shall be forwarded to the Council’s commission Handling Committee (“the Committee”) for further investigation and action.
10. Where the mediation fails or the parties or either of them objects to any mediation efforts, the Commission shall set down the complaint for a full hearing.
11. After hearing a complaint, the Commission may issue any decision as it deems appropriate and give directions in connection with the complain

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Required Documents

• ID card of complaint.
• Press card of the journalist (if available)

Office Locations & Contacts

Uganda Media Centre - Head Office
Plot 36, Nile Avenue,
Kampala
P.O.Box 2665
kampala,Uganda
Telephone: +256312261525/6/7, +256414-237-141/3
Email: info@mediacentre.go.ug
Website: Link

Eligibility

• Everyone is eligible for this service.

Fees

• This service is free of charge.

Validity

• The validly of the results of this service is as long as the complaint remains open.

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• The processing time is immediate.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since january 1908.

Required Information

1. Mode of reporting
2. ID Number
3. Gender
4. PWD Status
5. Mobile
6. Email
7. Type of complaint

Need for the Document

• It helps individuals to raise complaints’ to the Uganda Media Council on misconducts or unethical practices of journalists

Information which might help

1. Any person who wishes to present a complaint to the Council regarding any practice by an Officer of the Council is strongly advised to fill in the prescribed form in addition to forwarding any complaint letter/document(s).
2. The complainant should fill the form and send its original copy to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
3. Information provided on the prescribed form is confidential and will only be used by the Uganda Media Council (“the Council”) in an authorized manner. The Council may pass on the details of a complaint to other government agencies where appropriate for further action/investigation.
4. Any Council officer receiving a complaint whether oral or written shall record the details in the departmental complaints register.
5. If the complaint is simple, the receiving officer shall resolve the complaint immediately and update the register.
6. If the complaint is moderate or major it shall be escalated to the immediate supervisor for further investigations and resolution, as per the Council’s Service Charter and the complaint register updated in hard copy or soft copy as necessary. If the complaint is not resolved within 14 days, it shall be forwarded to the Council’s Commission Handling Committee (“the Committee”) for further investigation and action.
7. The Chairperson of the Committee (“the Chairperson”) shall communicate the action to the complainant and update records. If the complainant is not satisfied the decision of the Committee they shall forward the case in writing to the Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) for further action as necessary and records updated.
8. All Heads of Departments/Managers shall forward the complaint registers to the Chairperson on a quarterly basis for analysis.
9. The Chairperson shall collate all the complaints and forward them to the Committee through the Secretary on or before the quarterly meeting
10. The Committee shall be expected to prepare a report including the following details as per the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) complaints handling reporting template:
    • Date the complaint was received;
    • Complaint channel;
    • Name of the complainant;
    • Complaint issue;
    • Action taken;
    • Root cause;
    • Corrective action taken to resolve the complaint;
    • Status - this should state if the complaint is:
    • Resolved;
    • On-going;
    • New; and
    • Pending complaints from previous quarter (resolved, ongoing).
11. If the C.E.O is the subject of the complaint, the complaint shall be forwarded to the Board Chairman for further action.
12. If any of the Board members is the subject of the complaint, the complaint shall be forwarded to the Principal Secretary or the Cabinet Secretary.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• Uganda Media Council

Others

The Council has the following functions:-

• To regulate the conduct and promote good ethical standards and discipline of journalists.
• To arbitrate disputes between the public and the media; and the State and the media.
• Film classification