AU Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, opinion and Information visits Uganda!

Rapportuers UN Rapportuer Margaret Ssekagya (Left) at the dialogue with AU Rapporteur Advo. Pansy Tlakula

Kampala, 18^th September 2012; The Africa Union Special Rapportuer on the Freedom of expression, opinion and Information, advocate Pansy Tlakula has expressed the need by her office and that of her counterpart at the United Nations to make a formal visit to the country.

Advocate Pansy was speaking at a National Public Dialogue on freedom of expression and information (FOE-I) organized by Human Rights network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) on 17^th September 2012 at Serena hotel in Kampala, which attracted media practitioners; academia; CSOs and government agencies.

She noted that given the various human rights concerns in Uganda especially on freedom of expression, her office would make an official request to Ugandan government to facilitate her visit. “….i will officially write to the Ugandan government to admit a joint mission of AU and UN to come and assess the situation of FOE-I in Uganda between January and April 2013……”

Advocate Pansy who was on an informal visit to Uganda was dismayed by the status of freedom of expression in Uganda which participants noted was characterized by; stringent media legal framework closure of media houses, physical attacks on journalists, denial of platforms to guarantee divergent thoughts; denial to practitioners to access news scenes; illegal arrest and detention of journalists; harassment and intimidation of journalists among others.

She commended HRNJ-Uganda for organizing the event which she described as very relevant in strengthening freedom of expression, opinion and information in Uganda and Africa as a whole. She also hailed the UN Special Rapportuer on the situation of Human rights defenders, Ms Margaret Ssekaggya for championing the human rights agenda. She outlined the importance of civil society in Uganda and freedom of expression practitioners to continuously engage in dialogue with the state/ government and to utilize both her office at the AU and the UN mechanisms to ensure the promotion and protection of FOE-I in the country.

She called on the State to take steps to decriminalize defamation and prosecute persons who perpetrate attacks on journalists to end impunity. She called for the establishment of independent regulatory bodies, adding that politicians should not be allowed to own media houses because this compromises their offices.

The UN Special Rapportuer on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms Margaret Ssekaggya on her part observed that the numerous cases received by her office reveal that journalists continue to suffer all kinds of threats to muzzle the media. She said that journalists were among the many human rights defenders who are most vulnerable while at work. She called on the government to pass a law for the protection of human rights defenders basing on technical advice by the AU and UN.

HRNJ-Uganda thanks all journalists who have withstood the turbulent environment and continued to promote freedom of expression, opinion and Information in Uganda.

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

Journalist Testifies against Her Attacker

Wakiso, 13^th/September/2012; Hearing of an assault case has commenced in a court at Entebbe with the victim journalist testifying against her suspected attackers.

The New Vision journalist Rebecca Nakame testified against one Ddungu Erias who she accused of attacking her on the fateful day. She told court that Ddungu together with two others who are still at large severely beat her up thereby causing actual bodily harm. Ddungu is jointly charged with Mutagubya Jamil and Katongole Isa who are still at large. 

Court also issued witness summons against the medical doctor who examined Nakame, the area defense secretary who rescued her and Nakaweesi Sumaya who had invited her to take the coverage.

Prosecution alleges that on 20^th/April/2012, the trio, at Bweya village, Ssissa sub-county in Wakiso district assaulted Nakame occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to section 236 of The Penal Code Act and destroyed her property –a video camera which they also confiscated.

Nakame was attacked by a mob on the orders of one Hakaya Luswa a special police constable attached to Kajjansi police station. She had been invited to cover a news story about a family land wrangle, but was attacked by some family members before she started filming the story. Luswa was however excluded from the case file for unknown reasons. He is a police officer attached to Kajjansi Police Station.

Nakame told Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) that she was kicked, slapped, pushed and her hair pulled as she pleaded for mercy before being saved by a local council official. She sustained bruises and severe back pain.

The matter was adjourned to 20^th of September 2012 where all the prosecution witnesses are expected to testify.

‘This is a major stride taken in delivering justice to the victim journalist. Mob justice has become a real danger and threat to media practitioners. This behavior must not be condoned by any person. We hope that the matter will be handled expeditiously and the search for Katongole Isa and Mutagubya Jamil would bear fruits by having them arrested and lined up in court” said HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala.

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,humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.hrnjuganda.org,BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com

NTV Journalist Injured by Angry Residents

Mbale, 13^th/September/ 2012; a journalist was injured by an angry mob in Mbale district as he covered a news story as angry residents protested a move to construct a water dam in the area along River Manafwa.

David Wandeka, a correspondent in Eastern Uganda for a private television station NTV, was hit by a stone during a scuffle in which the locals tried to force away a team of government officials led by the State minister for water and environment, Betty Bigombe at Busiu subcounty headquarters in Mbale district.

Wandeka sustained a cut on the head and was rushed to hospital from where he got first aid treatment. He told Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) that he was in the middle of covering a story when a stone hit him from behind.

“I was covering the story at Busiu sub-county headquarters when a stone hit me on the head from behind. I was holding my camera clearly filming while standing next to a Red Pepper reporter, but I think some locals don’t know the importance of the media, or they could have thought that I was part of the minister’s team.” He told HRNJ-Uganda.

The incident happened on 10^th September 2012 at around 02:30pm local time when Bigombe had rushed to Busiu to sensitize the residents on the importance of the water project and drum up support for it. But the residents are reportedly opposed to the project which they accuse government of fronting to grab their land without any compensation.

Wandeka was first attacked in 2011 in Bukedea during the ruling National Resistance Movement party primaries when the police attacked him for filming violent scenes involving some party functionaries. He says that his shirt was torn in the process and his mouth injured. However the regional Police Officer at the time, Harrison Agaba together with the operation commander apologized to him.

“HRNJ-Uganda would like to appeal to the police to ensure the safety of journalists and protect them as they carry out their duties. The public should also desist from criminalizing and targeting journalists during scuffles because the media is the public’s eyes and ears. Media houses should endeavor to provide protective gears to their reporters when heading to cover such hostile scenes.” said HRNJ-Uganda National 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

Police’s Failure to Arrest City Mayor over Journalist Assault

Kampala, 11^th September 2012; Human Rights Network for journalists-Uganda is disappointed by the police’s failure to arrest the City Mayor Godfrey Nyakaana Amooti to appear in court for assaulting a journalist.On 13^th July 2012, Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Mary Eleanor Khainza issued an arrest warrant against Nyakaana after he failed to honor criminal summons issued against him in June this year. The State Prosecutor Nelly Asiku asked the court to order for Nyakaana’s arrest.

The warrant of arrest was presented to the police’s Deputy CID Commander Mr. Walimbwa to execute the arrest but he has since failed to do so. Another warrant of arrest was issued on 27^th July 2012 by the same court and handed over to one Musa a police officer attached to Central Police Station but was similarly never put into effect.

On 30^th August, Court could not proceed as Nyakaana had not yet been arrested. The case was further adjourned to 05^th October 2012 and the warrant of arrest extended to the same date. It is worthy to note that this case has failed to take off and has been repeatedly adjourned due to police’s failure to arrest Nyakaana.

Prosecution alleges that on February, 23 2011 during local council general elections for Kampala Lord Mayor Ship, Nyakaana severely beat up Arinaitwe George Fidel a Red Pepper journalist and also robbed him of his Sony camera worth 400,000shs. In a bid to destroy the photos that Arinaitwe had taken, Nyakaana is alleged to have grabbed the camera from him and destroyed its memory card before beating him several times. Although Nyakaana was not one of the candidates in the elections, he was displeased by Arinaitwe who took photos of the fracas that broke out after people started accusing him of vote stuffing at the Railway ground polling station.

At the time of the attack, Nyakaana was overseeing the votes of the ruling party’s (NRM) candidate Peter Sematimba. The elections were later cancelled by the Electoral Commission upon discovering that they were marred by wide spread irregularities throughout the district. They were later re-organized and Ssematimba lost to the opposition’s Erias Lukwago who is the current Lord Mayor of the city authority.

“HRNJ-Uganda is greatly concerned by police’s failure to arrest the suspect, yet he sits at the City Division offices which are within the vicinity of CPS offices. Despite several appeals to the force by HRNJ-Uganda, the police have been reluctant to effect the arrest. This act has affected the hearing of this case, thereby denying the journalist justice. We therefore once again appeal to the police to arrest Nyakaana and present him to court to plead to the charges,” said HRNJ-Uganda National 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