HRNJ-Uganda alert, Student pins former teacher for assaulting a journalist.

Kampala, 23rd July 2014;  A former student of Old Kampala Senior Secondary School, Vanessa Nimukunda has pinned her former teacher, Ataremwa Justus in an assault case of a Vision Group Journalist, Mathias Ssebwato Kavubu.

During her examination, Nimukunda told the Makerere-based Law Development Centre Court, presided over by Grade One Magistrate Shwanda  Nkore, that on 17^th October 2012, she saw Ataremwa physically assaulting the journalist, “….there after Mr. Ataremwa held the journalist by the shirt, kicked and slapped him on the cheeks until he almost fell down”, said Nimukunda  in her testimony.

She said this happened after Ataremwa Justus, the examinations master at the school had denied her permission to do her Uganda Certificate of Education examinations under unclear circumstances, which prompted her to call her elder sister, Samantha Nimukunda who arrived at the School at about 9:00 am and met the School administration. In the process, the sisters called Bukedde TV to cover the story about the conduct of the school administration, which resulted in Sebwato coming to the school at about 11:00 am, with a video camera to cover the news.

She told court that Sebwato proceeded to the school administration and introduced himself before he started to interview her father, Patrick Bikako.  Just as Sebwato was about to interview the student, the Deputy Headmaster, Mr. Serwadda interjected him and asked for the journalist’s identity card, was later joined by Ataremwa Justus, who together with others assaulted the helpless journalist.

Prosecution closed its case today having produced five witnesses. The defence is expected to file its final submissions on 30^th July 2014 and thereafter, prosecution will reply by 6^th August 2014.

Court is expected to give its ruling as to whether there is a case to answer or not on 13^th August 2014