Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced that three French journalists were expelled from Uganda during the election period.
Among those expelled is Bastien Renouil, a France 24 journalist covering the East African region.
He reportedly arrived in Kampala on January 17, 2026, as the results of the presidential election held in Uganda on January 15 were being announced.
Reporters Without Borders states that Renouil went to the immigration office to finalize the work permit he had previously obtained, but was later told he must leave the country.
He was reportedly informed that the credentials he held to work in Uganda did not meet the requirements to report on the elections, and he was required to purchase a ticket back to his country or face imprisonment.
Later, immigration officials escorted him to the airport, and he left Uganda on January 20 without being able to produce a single report.
Reporters Without Borders says that two other French journalists working for Radio France Internationale (RFI) were also barred from working in Uganda.
One was denied entry at the border, while the other was allowed to enter but was shortly thereafter escorted to the airport and sent back to where they came from.
The Uganda Media Council stated that reporting on elections requires special authorization in addition to standard press credentials, suggesting that they might not have met those requirements.
This is disputed by Reporters Without Borders, which claims that the journalists had followed all established procedures and that what happened were administrative measures aimed at preventing the media from doing its job.
Elections in Uganda were conducted while the internet and social media were shut down, and they were only restored after the results were announced, a move criticized by human rights organizations.
