WEB PHOTO: President Museveni commissioning one of the roads in Uganda, 26 February 2015. |
Gulu,
22nd/July/2015;
Police and the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Gulu District
in Northern Uganda, on 21st July 2015 arrested Payira Bonny a radio
talk-show host who is also the Programmes Manager of Jal Fresh FM,
for allegedly using abusive language against the Ugandan President
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during a one hour talk-show which discussed
political developments in the country.
Payira
was arrested along with Okot Thomas Oloya a.k.a Toko a student at
Gulu University, Okyak Silva -a former Guild President of Gulu
University and Agwen Samuel the Local Councilor for Laroo Division in
Gulu Municipality. The trio had been hosted in the current affairs
programme which airs from 7pm to 8pm local time from Monday to
Friday.
A
source told Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda that Payira
was arrested from Roma hotel by RDC Andrew Moses Awinyi and the
District Police Commander for Gulu District, Martin Okoyo. “They
arrested Payira and put him in their car without informing him the
reason for his arrest. He was taken to Gulu Police Station, where he
recorded a statement before being locked up in the cells”. Payira
and others where still detained at the time of publishing this brief.
It
is alleged that during the talk-show, the trio criticized President
Museveni for commissioning the Gulu-Atiak road that is reportedly not
complete. The Regional Police Commander for Northern Region Wilson
Kwanya, accused the suspects of hatred against the president. “What
caused the problem is abusive language against the Head of State.
They have hatred against the president. They were abusing him on
radio. So when we got information about that, we went and arrested
them for questioning. We intend to take them to court.” Kwanya told
HRNJ-Uganda. Okoyo declined to comment, referring HRNJ-Uganda to the
Officer in Charge of Investigations, whose cellphone couldn’t go
through.
The
Jal Fresh radio Director, Eng. David Mwaka told HRNJ-Uganda that he
was yet to listen to the said program recording, “The police are
not saying much, no charges, no nothing as of now. I have asked for
the recording of the show. Am sure that as a radio, we act under the
law; even if it is to criticize the president, we do it positively.
They should release them on bond or take them to court to be heard.”
“The
police and RDC should not stifle debate and discussion on matters of
public interest as this is a key ingredient of a free and democratic
society. The President as the Chief Executive of the country is not
immune to criticism. The aggrieved party of such criticism should
petition the Media Council, rather than criminalizing free speech.”
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
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