‘Know your leaders’: Better FM, Uganda offers forum for listeners to interact with MPs

The team at Better FM, a radio station in Fort Portal, Uganda, were the most recent testers to install FrontlineSMS:Radio as part of the ongoing trial. Florence Brisset-Foucault, a researcher for the Centre of Governance and Human Rights (CGHR) at Cambridge University in the UK, is currently in Uganda, and helped with the installation, saying “I’m excited to report that it is running perfectly!” Here, Florence shares some updates from the station and the way they engage MPs in dialogues with listeners about public service delivery.

By Dr Florence Brisset-Foucault

Better FM was created in 2008. Despite the fact it’s a relatively new station here at Fort Portal, it seems very successful in terms of audience and reach. It has a high degree of response from local politicians, who are keen to engage with local citizens and hear their feedback. Honourable Alex Ruhunda, Member of Parliament for Fort Portal Municipality, District councillors and Tooro Kingdom officials regularly frequent the studios. Better FM has several programmes which focus on ensuring more transparency and accountability on public service delivery, especially concerning procurements and the building of infrastructure, particularly road, electricity and water. (Photo right: Local MP Alex Ruhunda answering people’s questions at Better FM. Credit: Florence Brisset-Foucault)

One programme is called ‘Know your leaders’ which offers an opportunity for listeners to interact with their community’s decision makers. Another is called the ‘Listeners’ Forum’ and is sponsored by a local organisation called Tooro Development Network who specialize in empowering grass root organizations with ICTs and promoting transparency. Both shows are hosted by Better FM presenter Wilfred Mukonyezi, and have a heavy emphasis on being interactive with the community. Wilfred takes around 10 calls during each show and usually receives around 50 SMS, some of which are read on air.

For the past two weeks the station had a technical problem with their internet provider meaning they were not able to receive text messages. On 19^th April, we installed FrontlineSMS:Radio – which does not rely on internet connection – on the studio’s computer, and Wilfred was really excited. (Photo above: setting up FrontlineSMS:Radio is the Better FM studio. Credit: Florence Brisset-Foucault)

We played with the software for an hour in order to get more familiar with it; sending text messages and testing functionality by creating imaginary polls. Wilfred immediately created “shows” for all his colleagues, a functionality in FrontlineSMS:Radio which allowed him to set up a space for each presenter to manage SMS relevant to them within the same system. After two weeks without SMS, Wilfred is glad he won’t have to depend on the internet to receive messages any more. He said “All my workmates will enjoy this software! It’s cheaper, it’s easier, and [unlike relying on an internet connection] it doesn’t give me a headache!” (Photo left: Wilfred Mukonyozi – Better FM, Credit: Florence Brisset-Foucault)

To find out more about the research of Cambridge Centre for Governance and Human Rights  click here. Find out about the Africa’s Voices project as part of CGHR research on their website or join the conversation on Facebook

To read a recent update on the trial and research in Uganda and Zambia click here

Tags: accountability, Better FM, CGHR, uganda