16th/March/2012;
Mulindwa Mukasa, a correspondent with a local private television Wavah
Broadcasting Service (WBS) TV was arrested at Nabweru Parents School – a private
primary school while following up a news story about the treatment of the
pupils. Mulindwa is the Executive Board chairperson of Human Rights for
Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda).
The school is found at Nabweru village (about 5 kilo
meters from the capital Kampala, in Nansana town council, Wakiso district. Its
owned by Ronald Ddamulira as its Managing Director, His wife, Mrs. Ddamulira is
the school headmistress.
Mulindwa told HRNJ-Uganda that he first registered
in the visitors’ book, and was ushered into the headmistress’s office. Trouble
started when he asked the headmistress to comment on the treatment of the
pupils.
“I asked her to comment about claims that the
students were being mistreated at the school by teachers and other staff
members. She was enraged, lost her cool and started shouting at me before
calling in other three people. They confiscated my camera and locked it in one
of the offices before they called in the police from Nabweru police station.
Ddamulira came in moments later before the police arrived.” Mulindwa told
HRNJ-Uganda.
A policeman from Nabweru helped Mulindwa to recover
his video camera before referring the matter to Kawempe police division from
where it was settled amicably. He was released without a charge by the police
division’s crime Investigation’s officer.
Mulindwa applauded the professional nature in which
they handled the matter, “I must say that the police acted very professionally
right from Nabweru to Kawempe. They advised all of us on how to play our roles
better. I should say they are professional enough in their way of work.”
Mulindwa reports that Ddamulira threatened him with
death should he go ahead to investigate the story. “He said that he would
behead me or employ other means to make me pay dearly if I don’t abandon
pursuing the story. He said that there were many ways of killing a rat, so he
would employ the same on me. He made the threats at Kawempe police division. So
am going to open up a case file against him.” He told HRNJ-Uganda team which
met him at Kawempe police soon after his release at around 08:00PM local time.
The threats were confirmed by the WBS TV chief news
editor, Patricia Oyella after she had a meeting with Ddamulira at the WBS TV
offices in Naguru.
“Those threats seem real because the man came here
and talked to me for about two hours and threatened to kill Mulindwa over the
story. He mentioned it three times and said that the police in Kawempe are
aware of the same because he had made the first threats in their very presence.
He thinks that it is his competitors who are trying to ruin the reputation of
the school he has built for such a longtime. He said that he would kill him
whether the story runs or not since it was putting his name at stake.” Oyella
quoted Ddamulira as having said during the meeting.
Oyella said she values the life of her employee very
highly, so she would have to decide on the future of the story in question.
HRNJ-Uganda commends the professional conduct of the
police officers who handled the matter, and implores the entire police force to
emulate them.
“We take the threats seriously and condemn the act
in the strongest terms from an administrator of such a status. We implore the
police to take the matter seriously and take action to restrain Ddamulira.
Threatening journalists is the main tool used by criminal minded people, so we
call upon him to withdraw such statements and also come clear on the treatment
to the pupils which is being investigated. Otherwise the media should not
succumb to such threats but go ahead to expose all forms of injustices and
amplify the voices of the unprivileged” Said HRNJ-Uganda Programme Coordinator
Wokulira Ssebaggala.
For
More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda
(HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road 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
humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org
BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com
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