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| Eddoboozi editor Eddie showing our HRNJ-Uganda researcher the vandalised office |
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| Some of the staff of Eddoboozi paper outside the office |
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| A window used by unidentified assailants to enter the building |
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| Some of the items left behind by assailants |
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| Some of the keys used by assailants to open different offices |
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| Eddoboozi News Paper Headquarters that were raided today by unknown assailants |
HRNJ-Uganda Alert: News paper offices
raided, guard killed
Wakiso, 24th/Nov/2011; Unidentified assailants have raided
Eddoboozi news paper headquarters and vanished with property worth millions of Uganda
shillings and killed a security guard named Fred Mabonga. The deceased was
working with KPI a private security company in Kampala.
Eddoboozi, a
bi-weekly Luganda news paper, located at Kyengera, Nsangi sub-country, Wakiso district
was raided in wee hours of 24th/Nov/2011 and the said assailants
disappeared with vital documents and company computers whose number still
remains unknown.
Eddoboozi a
pro-Buganda news paper was established in 2009 at the wake of the banning of
open space studio radio programmes (Ebimeeza) and closure of five private radio stations
namely; Central Broadcasting Service (88.8fm, 89.2fm) Radio Ssuubi, Radio Sapientia and Radio Two commonly
referred to as ‘Akaboozi’. The paper stormed streets on 18th/December/2009
and has written extensively on issues of corruption, politics, human rights
abuses and Buganda Kingdom issues and concerns among others.
Human Rights
Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) has learnt that this is the second
attack on the paper in a period of two months. The first attack saw a security
guard being chloroformed and injured by the assailants, but nothing was taken.
This is the
third news paper to be raided in a period of two years after the Namanve based
Red Pepper whose printer was burnt and Ggwanga News paper whose premises were
raided by security operatives and four staffs were arrested. Since then, the
paper has suspended its operations.
Sources told
HRNJ-Uganda that the assailants used the widow to enter into the premises and
moved straight to the administrator’s office where keys to all offices are normally
kept.
The paper’s
editor, Eddie Mukwaba Katende told HRNJ-Uganda that he learnt about the attack
from one of his staff who was the first person to arrive at the office on that
fateful morning.
“I rushed after
getting the shocking news and upon reaching office, I found the body of the guard
lying in a pool of blood. The attackers got the keys from administrator’s
office and opened all offices. They took all computers totaling to over 80 in
numbers which had stories prepared for the issue meant to come out on 25th/Nov/2011.
It’s a big loss to the company” said Mukwaba
He added
that the stories they had prepared for were not different from those the paper
has been publishing but he cannot rule out being witch hunted.
By the time
HRNJ-Uganda wrote this alert, police in Kyengera had started its investigation
but nobody had been arrested in connection to the incident.
“We
condemn the attack on the news paper but the police have to prove its
usefulness to the citizens because no report regarding the past attacks on
media houses has ever been made public including the Red Pepper and the Independent
Magazine in 2008. The investigations have gone mute and we do not know in whose
interest! With these new dimensions on the attacks on media houses, we also
cannot rule out the involvement of the government because findings are
concealed” said HRNJ-Uganda Programmes Coordinator Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala
HRNJ-Uganda
calls for a quick and open investigation into the raid of Eddoboozi and the release
of reports undertaken in previous attacks.
For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road at Mengo Kampala Opp. St. Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala
Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org
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