Mukono, 29th/May/2012;
The Pastor of Mt. Lebanon Church in Mukono, Samuel Lwandasa has apologized to
the journalists and committed to buy new cameras to replace those damaged
during an attack on Mukono journalists. This was during a meeting between the
journalists and the church.
The meeting at Shame Gardens in Mukono was attended by Mt.
Lebanon team led by Pastor Lwandasa. It included Pastor Kenneth Mutenza and
Shem Ssemanda, while the victim journalists were led by Human Rights Network for
Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) team led by Robert Ssempala and lawyer
Catherine Anite. It was also attended by other Mukono-based journalists and the
police.
A group of youths led by one Shem Ssemanda emerged from Mt.
Lebanon Church in Kikooza, Mukono district and beat up four Mukono-based journalists
on Sunday 20th and confiscated their tools of work including a video
camera. The victims are Kalumba Ronald of WBS television, Paddy Nsobya of
Bukedde Newspaper (Vision Group of Companies), Makumbi Joseph of the Red Pepper
and Bbuule Moses Kizito of Bukedde radio. They were following up on a news
story rotating around the church.
Ssemanda admitted to attacking the journalists and apologized
to them. “From the deepest part of my heart, am down on my knees begging my
brothers Kalumba and Nsobya to forgive me for the attack which I was part of.
Am sorry, I apologize and promise never to do it again.” Ssemanda told a
meeting that lasted for over five hours.
Pastor Lwandasa apologized on behalf of the church,
explaining that his church had no ill-intentions against journalists I it’s
over 20 years of existence.
“I don’t know who participated or who never participated in
the beating of the journalists, but all I know is that they were victims to an
attack on the said day by some persons from my church. I was away preaching in
the church. But I want to apologize on behalf of the church and hereby commit
that my church would compensate the journalists for costs and replace their
damaged cameras within a period not exceeding one month. I hereby plead for
forgiveness on behalf of Shem (Ssemanda) and any other member of my church. We
take the blame and we are very sorry about what happened.” confessed Pastor
Lwandasa.
The journalists offered to forgive their attackers if they
fulfilled the set conditions in the given period.
This comes at a time when the police were fast tracking the
prosecution of the suspects. Pastor Lwandasa and Ssemanda were summoned and
questioned by Mukono police for assault and malicious damage to property. The
other suspects were are still at large.
“HRNJ-Uganda is
concerned by the attacks and wants to ensure that justice is delivered to the victims
in an expeditious way. It is also imperative to promote peace and
reconciliation between the media and the community where they operate. However,
the case file should be processed for purposes of criminal prosecution if the
suspects backtrack on the agreed upon terms. The attacks are an abuse of the
media freedoms and rights which should not be condoned” 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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