What other media said about Uganda’s jubilee celebrations
SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 11 OCTOBER 2012
Artistes perform during the golden jubilee celebrations at Kololo ceremonial grounds on Tuesday.
How do you catch the world’s attention? Usually a massive hurricane, earthquake, terror attack or some major bad-news event will get you noticed, but rarely so if it is a feel-good story and you are a small African country.
Unless, of course, you tell your own story and what better way to tell a collective story through the individual efforts of Twitter?
It took a few hours but as soon as Uganda@50 started trending on the micro-blog site, the world sat back and noticed that the country was celebrating its golden jubilee independence anniversary.
Google, the search giant, had already got on with the party, changing the doodle on its local domain to one covered in the black-red-and-yellow of the National Flag, with the obligatory and majestic Crested Crane, standing on the figure ‘50’ to complete the look. “Today’s Google doodle is amazing,” Michael Niyitegeka, an employee of Makerere University said.
Coverage of event
Before that the major media players had already descended on Kampala, of course.
Before that the major media players had already descended on Kampala, of course.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), where Ugandans increasingly rule the radio roost, established a mobile station at the grounds and the occasion was streamed live on the Newsday programme.
The local comments on Twitter ranged from the sarcastic to the sardonic but mostly the air was full of patriotism, served up in 140-character bits.
Not all the coverage was of good cheer. The BBC, for instance, mainly focused on what the future holds for the country and the besieging of major opposition leaders, Dr Kizza Besigye and Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago who were detained in their homes lest they stormed the venue.
Not all the coverage was of good cheer. The BBC, for instance, mainly focused on what the future holds for the country and the besieging of major opposition leaders, Dr Kizza Besigye and Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago who were detained in their homes lest they stormed the venue.
Perhaps the police need not have bothered, seeing as the Opposition boycotted the event, anyway.
The Associated Press news agency and Yahoo news, however, carried a bold headline, “Uganda: 50 years of Independence, amid turbulence” and explored the crises that country is facing especially on the question of succession.
Kenyan newspaper, The Star, reported that there was nothing to celebrate since the country had not moved a step forward since independence but in Uganda many were willing to put the hatchet down, even just for a day, and celebrate a day that was both serious and spurious.
International Herald Tribune (New York Times)
A Golden Jubilee, Tarnished
“It is sometimes said that the difference between a good party and a great one is not who is invited, but who is excluded: the crashing bores, the spoilsports, the bearers of inconvenient truths.”
“It is sometimes said that the difference between a good party and a great one is not who is invited, but who is excluded: the crashing bores, the spoilsports, the bearers of inconvenient truths.”
Associated Press.
Uganda: 50 years of Independence, amid turbulence
“The East African country has come a long way from the days when brutal dictators were in charge, but it has not had a single peaceful transfer of power since 1962 and the potential for instability remains as opposition activists intensify their campaigns and authorities clamp down.”
Uganda: 50 years of Independence, amid turbulence
“The East African country has come a long way from the days when brutal dictators were in charge, but it has not had a single peaceful transfer of power since 1962 and the potential for instability remains as opposition activists intensify their campaigns and authorities clamp down.”
BBC.
Uganda celebrates 50 years of independence from the UK
People across Uganda have been celebrating as the country marks 50 years of independence from Britain.Several African heads of state joined Uganda’s President Museveni in Kampala for the festivities. However, the opposition boycotted the event, accusing the government of being corrupt and repressive
People across Uganda have been celebrating as the country marks 50 years of independence from Britain.Several African heads of state joined Uganda’s President Museveni in Kampala for the festivities. However, the opposition boycotted the event, accusing the government of being corrupt and repressive
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