This one is a bit long but you should read it if you care about the journalists who serve u. For God and My Country. The biggest mistake is to ignore the fact that in #Uganda now, many people have mobile phones which take pictures and videos and get shared around the world before you even smash the phone to pieces. It is getting to the point where the Police in Uganda will need the media, not the other way around. Every kid you see demonstrating has got a phone which can send anything and everything around the world. Uganda is awake. Good luck to you all. ----------------------- By Nkonge I Kaggwa in Kampala, Uganda Ugandan journalists have held a two-day media blackout of police activities protesting against the continued police brutality on journalists while carrying out their reporting duties. The blackout followed an assault on two Ugandan journalists identified as Andrew Lwanga of Wavah Broadcasting Services TV and Joseph Ssettimba of New Vision Group working with Bukedde Television. They were assaulted by Joram Mwesigye, the Division Police Commander (DPC) at Old Kampala Police Station. The police officer was later arrested after he brutally clobbered the journalists using an electric cable while they were covering a protest by a group of youth calling themselves “The unemployed youth”. They had gathered at the police headquarters to deliver a notice to the police asking to be allowed to carry out a countrywide protest that would awaken government about the increase in unemployed youth. Lwanga sustained serious head and chest injuries and was admitted to Nsambya Catholic Hospital in Kampala. Dr Edward Dumba of Nsambya hospital told the press a scan was carried out on the head and chest of Lwanga and that doctors were intent on managing his pain, anxiety, physical and psychological damage. Following the incident which was captured live on national TV, journalists led by the Uganda Human Right Network for journalists (HRNJ) stormed the streets of Kampala peacefully demonstrating against the grave assault on fellow journalists. Robert Sempala, the national coordinator HRNJ told journalists before the procession that the action by a senior police officer to target journalists and assault them rather than ensuring their safety and security as they do their work was ‘deplorable’. “The police should investigate this matter and take appropriate action against the said errant police officer. The police must ensure the safety and security of the journalists doing their work rather than torturing and tormenting them,” he said. Police spokesman Fred Enanga, apologized on behalf of Ugandan Police Force and confirmed that the arrest of Mwesigye, the police officer blamed for the attack. The president of the Uganda Journalists Association Robert Kagolo, told The London Evening Post that 2015 was going to be a very tough year for journalists in Uganda as the country draws towards the 2016 general elections. “All security agencies are targeting us, the Ugandan Inspector General of Police General Kale Kayihura should know that he can’t work in isolation. We need each other,” he asserted. The shadow minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs representing the Democratic Party Medard Lubega Seggona who is also an advocate in Uganda, offered pro bono services to WBS journalist Andrew Lwanga. “This act is so barbaric; it took place in broad day light in front of cameras and it was a justification of impunity that has been exhibited by various police officers who go unpunished,” he exclaimed. Seggona added that, such actions coming from police officers who are supposed to provide protection to Ugandans was an indication that Ugandans are no longer safe in their mother country. He noted that since Mwesigye had been arrested, he must be prosecuted because all the evidence that is required to reprimand him is available and that he should be forced to compensate the victims. In addition to sustaining sever injuries, the victims’ video cameras were destroyed, an action that was captured on live TV and photos taken by other journalists at the police headquarters assault and malicious damage of his property at the Central Police Station in Kampala. Meanwhile, the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Media (UPFM) has joined the media fraternity in the country to pursue the barbaric act by police on journalists while on duty. Mariam Nalubega, Chairperson of the Forum an independent member of parliament representing Butambala, told the media that the forum was founded for a reason. “We founded this forum as parliament for a reason. Every person, without compromise, shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression which includes freedom of the press and other media,” she said. Addressing a press conference chaired by the UPFM leadership led by Nalubega, Dr Bayega Lulume and Peter Okeyo, UPFM’s Secretary General and deputy Secretary General respectively, vowed not to leave this case isolated since the act was not only an abuse to journalists, but also portrayed the Uganda police as a brutal force that cannot work in a civilized environment. “Freedom of expression and freedom of the media is a constitutional right that enforcement officers MUST respect in their line of duty,” they said. Nalubega vowed that the issue of assaulting journalists last week was just too fresh in people’s minds that as soon as parliament resumes they are to ensure it is put on the order paper for debate. They added that the guarantee of press and media freedom is a fundamental component of freedom of expression in the supreme law of the country and is further enshrined in several international instruments of human rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Dr Bayega Lulume assured the media that parliament will ensure the report which was meant to discuss police brutality brought back for debate. He said this was aimed at debating the issue of recruitment and promotion and why all division police commanders come from one region. He noted that barbaric actions by police could be organized since the country is going into a political season. Bayiga promised to engage all stake holders who are expected to pursue the matter in courts of law so as the perpetrators are brought to book. “UPFM together with the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) strongly condemn the deplorable torture subjected onto journalists as they carried out their cardinal and noble duty of collecting information to inform the public. We will do the needful to protect the rights of journalists,” he pledged. Moses Kajangu, Secretary General of Uganda Parliamentary journalist association, told The London Evening Post that the media will ensure that the commitments made by UPFM are debated. “As journalists here, we are going to make sure that the commitments they have made here are debated. We will put pressure on both the forum and the parliamentary committee on defense and security so that the issue of torturing journalists is made history,” Kajangu said. He pointed out that the period 2015 is so critical to the media and it requires close monitoring. He says journalists at parliament will make sure that during budget debates at committee level, the issue of media is considered serious. thelondoneveningpost/ugandan-press-in-police-activities-media-blackout/
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 01:24:46 +0000
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