The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has asked a journalist who edited and shared a misleading version of his remarks about nurses to issue a public apology.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, Tayebwa explained that John Paul Sebaduka, a journalist accredited to Parliament and working with CBS FM, edited a video of his remarks on the proposed Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at Mbarara University and shared the altered version on his personal online platform, SPJ Exclusive Media. Tayebwa made the remarks during Tuesday’s plenary sitting.
Tayebwa said the edited video created the impression that he was demeaning nurses and suggesting that they could not become leaders, prompting widespread criticism and abuse on social media. However, in his communication, he described nurses as professionals, some of whom already hold PhDs and senior leadership positions.
Tayebwa said he began receiving numerous phone calls and messages after the video went viral, with people accusing him of disrespecting nurses. He said he quickly investigated the source of the video and established how his remarks had been distorted.
Tayebwa said he spoke to the journalist, who apologised. However, he explained that a private apology was insufficient because the video had been shared publicly and had already reached a wide audience.
“I told him to make a public apology because you cannot tarnish my name in public and apologise to me in private,” he said.
He disclosed that he had referred the matter to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) for consideration. He also asked Parliament’s Corporate Affairs Department to handle the issue in line with its established guidelines to ensure accurate reporting of proceedings in the House.
“I will own up to whatever I say, but when you twist it, you should also own up,” Tayebwa said.
He said the incident should concern all legislators because any public official can become a victim of misleading edits of video or audio recordings.
Tayebwa said Parliament was working to create a media-friendly environment, recognising the important role journalists play in informing the public about legislative proceedings and the institution’s activities.
“The media is very critical for the performance of this Parliament, but they are not above scrutiny where they do wrong things,” he said.