KAMPALA — The next threat to Uganda’s democracy, Racheal Akidi Okwir warned, won’t come from the streets or ballot boxes but from the screens in people’s hands.
“Artificial intelligence has entered our public discourse and quietly entered our newsrooms,” she said, her voice steady as hundreds of students, journalists, and media scholars listened. “But without clear policies, the risks are immense. When I began my career, the challenge was access. Today, the challenge is trust.”
Akidi, a veteran journalist and former Head of BBC Africa, delivered the keynote address at Makerere University’s 25th Annual Media Convention last week, a milestone gathering that brought together media professionals, regulators, academics, and students to discuss “Responsible Communication and Media Reporting in Uganda’s Elections.”
Her message cut through the optimism that often surrounds new technology: AI could just as easily empower journalists as it could destroy public trust. And in a country heading into another pivotal election, she said, the difference will depend on how journalists respond, and how fast.
Artificial intelligence, Akidi explained, has already blurred the boundaries between truth and fiction across Africa. In recent months, AI-generated videos of Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, have surfaced online, falsely endorsed by celebrities like Beyoncé and Rihanna. In Uganda, a deepfake video of President Yoweri Museveni has circulated on social media, sowing confusion and sparking political debate.
“These are not isolated incidents,” Akidi said. “They show how truth itself is being weaponized and how easily AI-generated disinformation can infiltrate our information ecosystem.”
The danger, she added, is compounded by the retreat of global tech giants from content moderation. “Platforms like X and Meta have scaled back their fact-checking. The truth has been left to algorithms and crowdsourced opinion, a dangerous gamble in an election year.”
Uganda’s next election, Akidi noted, will unfold in a digital landscape dominated by youth. With a median age of just 16.9 years, the country’s population is overwhelmingly young and digitally native.
“This generation is not loyal to traditional news brands,” she said. “They consume news on TikTok, WhatsApp, and YouTube, often from influencers rather than journalists. And many find mainstream media too negative or irrelevant to their lives.”
Citing the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, Akidi pointed out that 30 percent of Kenyans now get their news primarily from TikTok, a trend she believes will soon spread to Uganda. “We must meet audiences where they are,” she urged, “online, on mobile, and on demand.”
When Falsehood Travels Faster Than Fact
Drawing on her BBC experience, Akidi warned that disinformation campaigns, now supercharged by AI, move faster and more effectively than traditional journalism.
“False information spreads six times faster than the truth,” she said. “And during elections, that means lies, not facts, could shape how people vote.”
But amid the challenges, she pointed to innovation as a way forward. She cited Dubawa, a Nigerian fact-checking organization that launched an AI chatbot capable of verifying viral claims on WhatsApp in real time.
“Imagine if Ugandan newsrooms built a similar tool before 2026,” she said. “A platform where citizens could send rumors and get verified answers instantly, in English, Luganda, or Runyankole. That’s responsible innovation.”
At one point, Akidi conducted a spontaneous survey of the room. “How many of you use ChatGPT?” she asked. Nearly every hand went up. “And how many of your newsrooms have an AI policy?” Only one hand stayed raised.
“That gap between policy and practice is where the danger lies,” she warned. “If a journalist publishes an AI-generated story that turns out false, who takes responsibility, the editor, the newsroom, or the AI?”
She called for urgent collaboration between newsrooms, universities, and regulators to develop clear ethical guidelines and AI literacy programs.
“Media literacy must now evolve into AI literacy,” she said. “Citizens must learn not only to spot fake news but also to question whether what they’re seeing was generated, manipulated, or authentic.”
In the end, Akidi returned to what she called journalism’s most enduring principle: trust.
“Trust is what separates journalists from propagandists and content creators,” she said. “It’s what will help us cut through the noise during the 2026 elections and support citizens to make informed choices.”
Her words drew a long round of applause, part admiration, part unease, from students and seasoned journalists alike.
Honoring Excellence and a New Generation
The convention also celebrated Uganda’s emerging media talent. Turi Elizabeth received the Cranimer Mugerwa Photography Award from Daily Monitor, Ahurira Bridget won the Tebere-Mudin Journalism Award from New Vision, and Boy Fedel was named Best Communication Student, earning free membership in the Public Relations Association of Uganda.
Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, head of Makerere’s Department of Journalism and Communication, praised the department’s partners, including the Uganda Communications Commission, Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Human Rights Commission, Daily Monitor, and New Vision, for their collaboration.
“Our commitment,” she said, “is to prepare journalists who not only report the news but defend truth itself.”
