HRNJ-Uganda alert, journalist weeps as he testifies against senior police officer

(L-R) Joram Mwesigye standing and Andrew Lwanga seated with clutches

Kampala, 25th/February/2015; A Wavah Broadcasting Services (WBS) Television journalist, Andrew Lwanga broke down in tears as he testified against Joram Mwesigye the former Division Police Commander of Old Kampala Police Station who he accuses of brutally assaulting him while covering a procession by a group of unemployed youth in Kampala.

Lwanga, who is currently walking on clutches told court presided over by Grade One Magistrate, Sanyu Mukasa, that on 12^th January 2015, while using a big stick, Mwesigye hit him three times on the left hand, chest and left side of his head, which made him dizzy and collapsed on the ground. His camera was also destroyed.

“He first hit me on the palm of the left hand, I tried to hold on to the stick in self-defense, but I failed. He hit me the second time and I fronted my camera; the stick smashed the camera and got me on the chest as well. On the third time, he hit me on the head near the left ear. It is then that I collapsed on the ground, I was dizzy. I spent some time on the ground….” Lwanga told a fully packed court.

Lwanga further testified that he was dragged into a private white saloon car Registration Number UAT 150L, and driven to Old Kampala Police Station, from where he was ordered to remove his belt and shoes to enter the cells, but was rescued by the Former Kampala South Metropolitan Police Commander, James Ruhweza, who used a police patrol car and rushed him to Mulago National Referral Hospital where he was admitted in critical condition. He was thereafter transferred to St. Francis Hospital in Nsambya after he became weak and unconscious a few hours after he had been discharged from Mulago. He is likely to undergo surgery on the back bone owing to a dislocation of his spine cord.

Court dismissed an application by Mwesigye through his lawyer Gorge Spencer against allowing other journalists from testifying against him in this case. The matter was adjourned to 30^th March 2015 for further hearing.

Meanwhile, hearing of a case at the Law Development Center Court in Kampala, in which the former Executive Board Chairperson of HRNJ-Uganda, Mulindwa Mukasa is accused of obstructing the former Division Police Commander of Wandegeya Police Station, Julius Caesar Tusingwire did not take off due to failure by the State to produce witnesses in court. Two witnesses have so far testified in this case. The matter was adjourned to 25^th March for further hearing.

For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Plot 18, Block 12 Stensera Road Kayanja Triangle Zone
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

HRNJ-Uganda alert, Court adjourns a journalist’s assault case against a senior police officer

ANDREW LWANGA ON CLUTCHES

Kampala, 18^th/ February/2015; Court at Buganda Road has adjourned a case in which a Wavah Broad Casting Services (WBS) Journalist, Andrew Lwanga was allegedly assaulted by Joram Mwesige a former Division Police Commander of Old Kampala Police Station.

This was after defence counsel George Spencer made an oral application seeking for a two weeks’ adjournment on grounds that, “the accused has a serious ailment and has been advised by his doctors to have a bed rest.”

Prosecution led by Deborah Itwau objected to the application on the basis that she had a witness in court (Andrew Lwanga) and seeking for an adjournment was intended to delay the due process of court.

The Trial Magistrate Sanyu Mukasa granted the defense’s application and adjourned the case to 25^th February 2015 for further hearing.

Prosecution alleges that on12^thJanuary 2015, while covering a demonstration by a group of unemployed youths who were heading to Police Headquarters in Naguru to deliver a letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) General Kale Kayihura to allow them hold rallies in the different parts of the City, Andrew Lwanga was assaulted by Joram Mwesige, the former Division Police Commander of Old Kampala Police Station.

Lwanga sustained injuries on the head and was admitted at Mulago National Referral Hospital and thereafter transferred to St. Francis Hospital Nsambya for over two weeks.

”We applaud the expeditious trial the judiciary has accorded this matter and the media for critically following and covering the progress of this case in public interest.” Said the HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator, Robert Ssempala.

For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Plot 18, Block 12 Stensera Road Kayanja Triangle Zone
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala. Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: info@hrnjuganda.org / humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk

HRNJ-Uganda alert, Internal Affairs Minister orders for investigations into violations against journalists by armed forces.

Kampala, 15^th/February/2015; The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima has ordered for investigations into cases of violations of media freedom and journalists rights, and release the reports to the public in order to end impunity. He also called for continuous dialogue between the media and key government institutions and departments.

This was during a 3-hour meeting between journalists led by the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda and Gen. Aronda, at his offices at Kololo Airstrip, over heightened brutality against journalists by security agents, especially the police.

Aronda commended the role played by the media as the fourth estate of government, observing that this critical role must be well known by all government agencies especially the armed forces, “the role of the media is a ‘must know’ not a ‘should know’ to all government bodies.”

Aronda committed to ensuring that there are regular structured meetings between the media and officials from the ministry of information and national guidance, the police, prisons, Immigration, spokespersons of government departments and key media personalities to deliberate on the challenges being faced by the media with a view of improving the working environment.

In a 3-page petition handed over to the minister by the HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator, Robert Ssempala, the journalists asked Gen. Aronda to ensure that errant police officers face disciplinary measures, suspended from their offices of work and discharged from the force as a way to counter the wide scale impunity. They want the reports of such actions to be made public.

Lynn Najjemba, from Panos Eastern Africa asked the minister to ensure that journalists are treated fairly like other citizens of Uganda.

Aronda instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary, Dr. Stephen Kagoda to coordinate efforts aimed at having regular meetings and dialogue over the issues raised during the meeting.

After failing to meet the Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura over the increased brutality against journalists which saw the then Old Kampala DPC, Joram Mwesigye going on rampage and beating journalists including a WBS Television journalist, Andrew Lwanga leaving him unconscious, the media players sought for a meeting with Gen. Aronda who is the line minister in charges of the police and prisons. The next meeting is slated for February 27, 2015.

HRNJ-Uganda alert, court convict journalist on duty, sentences him to two weeks

Kampala, 05/February/2015; Buganda Road Chief Magistrate, Lillian Bucyana has convicted a journalist working with Pearl of Africa radio, Muzafar Nsubuga of contempt of court and sentenced him to two weeks in jail or to a fine of Uganda Shillings 100,000/= (USD40) after his cell-phone rang during a court session, at Buganda Road Court in Kampala.

Nsubuga told HRNJ-Uganda while in custody at the Buganda Road Court cells in Kampala that when his cell-phone rang accidentally, he switched it off very fast, but the tough speaking magistrate ordered for his arrest and read to him the judgement. “She did not allow me to say anything to defend myself or plead for mercy; she immediately passed a sentence against me and ordered for my arrest at around 11:55am local time.” Nsubuga told HRNJ-Uganda

However, Nsubuga’s employers paid the fine and had him released at around 04:00pm local time. Last year, Bucyana made a ruling that threw out of her court session journalists covering the trial of a police man accused of leaking police’s secret audio recordings to the public. The ruling was however challenged in the High Court and overturned.

Nsubuga reported to HRNJ-Uganda that a prison officer, one Kalisengawa, force number 8435, threatened him with brutal treatment similar to that of a police officer, Joram Mwesigye against journalists on January 12, 2015. The prison officer admitted to HRNJ-Uganda having made the threats, “I told him that while here in the cells he must behave, or else we would work on him. He should know he is a prisoner now.” Kalisengawa confessed to HRNJ-Uganda. In 2013, a group of three prison warders violently attacked journalists at Kalisizo, occasioning them grievous harm. They were charged and taken to court.

Nsubuga is the second journalist to be convicted since December 2014, after William Ntege aka Kyumakyayesu, a freelance journalist who was sentenced to two months in jail after being convicted of criminal trespass. He was arrested at the Ugandan Parliament when he went to petition the Speaker of Parliament over police brutality and use of excessive force.

“We appreciate the fact that judicial officers have powers to convict persons for offences whose penalties are not prescribed by law. However, this discretion should be exercised leniently, most especially if the offenders are remorseful, like in the case of Nsubuga.” Said the HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator, Robert Ssempala.

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For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Plot 18, Block 12 Stensera Road Kayanja Triangle Zone
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala. Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: info@hrnjuganda.org / humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk

HRNJ-Uganda alert, Journalist testifies against police boss

DPC Joram Mwesigye in big photo and Andrew Lwanga being held by 2 police officers

Kampala, 4th/February/2015; Hearing of a criminal case in which the suspended Old Kampala District Police Commander (DPC), SP Joram Mwesigye, is accused of assaulting a WBS TV journalist, Lwanga Andrew has commenced on 04/February/2015, at Buganda Road Magistrates Court before Her Worship Sanyu Mukasa.

The first prosecution witness, Joseph Settimba, a journalist with the government owned Vision Group, told court that on 12th January 2015, while doing his journalistic work, he saw Mwesigye, chasing a group of youth who were demonstrating against unemployment. Joram then started running after the youth and journalists whom he told not to film him. He had a wire with which he attempted to hit Lwanga, but instead it hooked his pair of Khaki trousers and tore them. In the process, his video camera fell down and got damaged. Joram then picked a stick which he used to hit journalist, Lwanga on the head and the stick broke into three pieces. Lwanga, then fell down and was carried by two police officers into Mwesigye’s car and drove him to Old Kampala police station.

The DPC is accused of assaulting a journalist and causing malicious damage to property. Prosecution led by Deborah Itwau alleges that on Monday, January 12, 2015, the Division Police Commander (DPC) for Old Kampala Police Station, SP Joram Mwesigye, assaulted Lwanga Andrew, a journalist with Wavah Broadcasting Services (WBS), on the head leaving him unconscious and also smashed and damaged his video camera. Defence is represented by George Spencer.

Lwanga was first admitted at Mulago National Referral hospital on the fateful day, before being transferred to St. Peter’ Hospital Nsambya were he was admitted for over two weeks. He is currently walking with the support of clutches. Doctors recommended that a surgery be carried out on him in the near future.

The matter was adjourned to 18^th February for further hearing when Lwanga is expected to testify.

For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Plot 18, Block 12 Stensera Road Kayanja Triangle Zone
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