GULU CITY, May 12, 2025 – Journalists working in the Acholi Subregion have been urged to begin planning early for their retirement, despite the often modest pay they currently earn.
Peter Labeja, Station Manager of Radio Rupiny, a local station based in Gulu City, noted that many journalists claim to be too busy to engage in income-generating activities outside their profession.
“Usually, we say we are too busy to even manage a cassava, rice, or coffee garden, and so we spend our youthful years working very hard in an industry that is poorly paying in Uganda,” Labeja said.
He encouraged journalists to be more creative in meeting their daily needs while also saving consistently with a long-term investment goal in mind.
“Most journalists are not in pensionable employment, so it is crucial that we plan for our retirement while also supporting our families. Imagine saving just Shs 5,000 every month with the aim of acquiring land for a small poultry farm alongside your job. In ten years, you could accumulate considerable wealth from that poultry business,” he advised.
Labeja made the remarks while delivering the keynote address during the belated World Press Freedom Day celebrations held at the Global Friendship Hotel in Gulu City. The event was marked under the regional theme “Defending Truth in the Age of Polarisation.”
He warned that it is unacceptable for journalists to retire into poverty and a life of despair.
“When you retire with nothing, you may struggle to even pay for medical bills, and the community may have to raise funds just to save your life,” he said.
During the same event, several journalists, particularly freelance reporters, raised concerns about the lack of employment contracts, which they said leaves them vulnerable and unprotected.
Stephen Okello, a freelance reporter, said, “Some media houses only provide press IDs for field identification. They don’t offer employment contracts.”
The Chief Guest, Gulu City Mayor Alfred Okwonga, advised journalists to demand contracts from their employers, stressing that it is their legal right.
“I urge you to demand written contracts. If your employers refuse, report the matter to the City Labour Office. We will follow it up from there,” Okwonga assured.
https://thecooperator.news/masindi-journalists-urged-to-become-conservation-ambassadors/
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