POLICE ACCIDENT VICTIM JOURNALIST DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL AMIDST CONFUSION.

Kampala, 06^th/April/2012; Ivan Kabbale, the NBS TV journalist who was knocked down by a police crane towing Dr. Besigye’ car has finally been discharged from Kisubi hospital where he has been receiving treatment since 31^st/March/2012. But there was confusion at the hospital when his file went missing on Wednesday.

Kabaale was knocked down at Luteete along Gayaza road as he tried to capture the security convey in which Besigye was driven from Kampala to Kasangati police division on Saturday 31^st/March/2012. He told HRNJ-Uganda that earlier in the day, a policeman in civilian attires asked him to surrender a video tape containing the footage of the incidents of the arrest and police actions during the scuffle but he managed to hold on to it.

Kabbale was first rushed to Capital Health Clinic and Laboratory at Kasangati for first aid treatment before he was transferred to Kisubi hospital along Entebe road on the same day.

Kabbale told HRNJ-Uganda that he had been informed by the hospital attendants that his file was missing and as such he could not pay his bills and be discharged.

“I am improving, getting stable now. I am not feeling too much pain now, save for my left leg which was dislocated. I am nursing wounds on the right leg and right arm. I was hoping to leave hospital today (Thursday) but I have been told that my payments file went missing yesterday (Wednesday), and that they were still tracing for it, so I can’t pay my bills to leave hospital. I suspect it is sabotage to deny me justice.” Kabbale told HRNJ-Uganda while still stuck at hospital.

When HRNJ-Uganda followed up the matter, the hospital denied knowledge of the file missing. “I am not aware of the file’s disappearance. We kept like any other file. I will follow up the matter tomorrow –Saturday.” explained Dr. Asaba Robert of Kisubi hospital.

Sources have told HRNJ-Uganda that the missing file could be the work of the security agents with a view of altering evidence.

Kabbale intends to open a case file against the police for masterminding the accident.

“The incidents involving journalists are on the rise and all of them have been the work of the uniformed and ununiformed policemen. We encourage Kabbale to open up a case file and see what the police will do to investigate the matter and hold the perpetrators culpable in this and other related cases. These are serious claims against the police, so the onus in the police leadership to handle the matter without fear or favor. Otherwise these incidents pose a serious danger to the media in Uganda.” said the 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

A JOURNALIST PETITIONS POLICE’S DISCIPLINARY BODY OVER ASSAULT BY THE POLICE.

Kampala, 06^th/April/2012; A photo-journalist for The Observer newspaper and Reuters Edward Echwalu has petitioned the police’s Professional Standards Unit (PSU) seeking for punishment of police officers who assaulted him while he was covering activities and the arrest of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader Dr. Kizza Besigye.

Echwalu along with Luswa Anatoli of Eddoboozi newspaper were separately beaten by police men in police uniforms as they covered the arrest of Besigye and other opposition leaders in Kampala on the 21^st/March/2012. Echwalu accuses four police men of beating him with batons and rifle butt at Kira Road police station in Kampala as he unpacked his camera to take photographs. On the same day, police also roughed up a human rights lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi and blocked him from accessing his clients at the Central Police Station (CPS).

The police were arresting opposition politicians including the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, Kampala  woman member of parliament Nabbilah Naggayi and Lord mayor Erias Lukwago and FDC women league leader Ingrid Turinawe among others. During the chaos as police engaged the Besigye supporters by firing tear gas and some demonstrators retaliated with stone throwing, an Assistant Inspector of Police John Bosco Ariong was critically injured, bled profusely and later died of the head injury.

Echwalu was accompanied by a group of foreign journalists to PSU in Bukoto –a suburb of Kampala. He met the PSU commandant, Commissioner Kyomukama Samwel and Sserwanga Francis who promised to investigate the matter and report back within three weeks.

“I provided the PSU with photographic evidence of the men who attacked me and some other violent acts these police men were involved in that day. Kyomukama assured us that the three police men in question would be arrested and investigated and possibly disciplined within a maximum period of three weeks.” Echwalu told HRNJ-Uganda.

The police have assaulted a total of six journalists in Kampala in a space of seven days. They were all involved in covering activities related to the opposition politicians.

“HRNJ-Uganda would like to commend the fellow journalists, civil society and other human rights activists both local and international who have come to the defence of victim journalists at the hands police’s brutality. These targeted attacks on the media should stop. So the PSU is charged with a huge challenge of taking action against its very own officers. Some cases have taken too long pending conclusively investigation by the PSU. We hope that this time, it is going to be a different situation.” said the HRNJ-Uganda Programme Coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala.

He added that, “The police force leadership should realize the urgent need of restraining its officers from violently attacking the journalists and the media who cover opposition related activities. This is a direct attack on the media which should not go unabated.”

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

LWENGO DISTRICT COUNCIL BANS MEDIA COVERAGE OVER A NEWS STORY.

Lwengo, 06^th/April/2012; The local government leadership for Lwengo district has banned the councillors from speaking to the media on any matter regarding the council without the approval of the district council speaker, while the district chairperson George Mutabaazi has threatened to arrest a journalist over a news story.

The council resolution followed a news story ran on the Buganda owned Central Broadcasting Service (CBS) radio about the absence of both the Kabaka of Buganda(King) and President Yoweri Museveni’ portraits in the district council hall.  The story was reported by the CBS correspondent for The Greater Masaka area Jimmy Ssekabiito. Ssekabiito is an Executive Board Member of the region’s journalists body South Buganda Journalists Association (SOBUJA).

The matter was raised during a council meeting by the district councilor representing Ndagwe Sub-county Abdul Kabugo Mugendawala and supported by the councilor for Lwengo Town Council Anthony Luwagga among others. The Woman Member of Parliament for Lwengo district Gertrude Nakabira attended the meeting and advised against the move to keep away the portarits.

The district chairperson George Mutabaazi was angered by the story and threatened to arrest and take action against Ssekabiito for reporting the story. The District Council Speaker Joe Walusimbi banned all councilors from talking to the media without prior permission from him on any matter about the district affairs.

The council also resolved that Kabugo apologises for passing on the story to the media. He was given up to one week to do so or risk a ban of not attending two district council meetings and forfeiting sitting allowances for the two meetings. Kabugo vowed not to heed to pressure and threatened to go to court if the council went ahead with implementing the resolution.

The portraits which raised the storm were however put in the council hall forth with. Efforts by HRNJ-Uganda to talk to Mutabaazi were futile.

SOBUJA vowed to resist the council resolutions of restricting reporting of news in the district to a chosen few journalists and banning of councilors from speaking to the media without prior permission.

“We are opposed to the resolution and will vehemently fight on until they are rescinded. We can’t let the politicians decide on who and how to report news from the district and which councilor should talk to us.” said the SOBUJA Secretary General Sadab Kitata Kaaya.

Ssekabiito re-affirmed that what he reported was factual and he was ready to defend himself at any time. “Mutabaazi said that he was looking for me. I don’t know what he wants to do, but am ready to defend my story because it was based on facts of what went on in the meeting.” He told HRNJ-Uganda.

This comes at a time when another CBS reporter for Kalangala district Ronald Ssembuusi is facing trial for alleged defamation when he reported that the former district chairperson Daniel Kikoola was being investigated for the disappearance of solar panel donated to the district.

“This is a very unfortunate decision by the district council. Its not in conformity with the recent parliamentary decision to allow the media carry their camera and other electronic gadgets to the press gallery to cover plenary sessions. We hope that the council rescinds this decision unconditionally. The council is made up of people’s representatives, so they need to be informed of whatever happens in the council, and it’s the media to play this noble role of holding the district leadership accountable. Any move to block the media would be leaving the voters ignorant of what happens in the district. We welcome the position taken by SOBUJA.” 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

JOURNALIST KNOCKED DOWN BY POLICE DURING BESIGYE ARREST, HE SURVIVES WITH INJURIES.

Kampala, 02nd/April/2012; A journalist working with NBS TV, Ivan Kabaale was knocked down by a police vehicle as he covered the transfer of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader Dr. Kizza Besigye from Kampala to Kasangati police on Saturday 31^st/March/2012.

Besigye was seated in his car which was parked along Luwum Street in the city Centre before police towed him in his car to Kasangati. He was arrested with three others including his driver one Kato. His car was pulled by a police crane amidst tight security up to Kasangati police division. Besigye was released later in the night.

Kabaale was knocked down at Luteete along Gayaza road as he tried to capture the security convoy in which Besigye was driven.

Kabaale talked to HRNJ-Uganda from a clinic in Gayaza where he was rushed for First Aid treatment. He sustained injuries on his right arm, leg and jaw; he said that he was going through a lot of pain.

“I was on a boda boda (motorcycle) riding side by side with the police and capturing the events as they towed Besigye. We rode past the police crane vehicle which was towing Besigye in his car; suddenly, a  police crane registration number  UP 2389 swayed at us and hit the boda boda on which we were traveling at a place called Luteete. I fell down together with the cyclist. The crane just sped off. I was helped by fellow journalists who came moments later and a police patrol car which took me to a clinic in Kasangati just next to the police station.” Kabaale told HRNJ-Uganda from Capital Health Clinic and Laboratory

When the team from HRNJ-Uganda visited him, he was visibly in great pain and had injuries on his body. His video camera was shattered. Kabaale also told HRNJ-Uganda how the police tried to confiscate his video footage when he entered a police van Reg. no: UP 1931.

“The police chased away all cyclists and made us travel in their van. When I entered, a policeman in civilian attire grabbed my camera and tried to eject the video tape but he failed, then he returned the camera and asked me to take it out for him. At that time, my editor rang me for news story updates, so the police man was distructed, which gave me an opportunity to give him a wrong tape which he took away as I retained the one he needed. He took advantage of the absence of other journalists in the van at the moment. He did not beat or insult me.” Kabaale told HRNJ-Uganda.”

Kabaale’s efforts to open up a case file at Kasangati police were frustrated when the police officers on duty told him that they were too busy to attend to him. He is currently hospitalized in Entebbe and a recent scan shows that he sustained internal bleeding.

In a related development, a WBS journalist William Ntege reported that a Commissioner for Traffic Stephen Kansiima tried to grab his video camera along Luwum Street at Mutaasa Kafeero plaza as he took footage of the arrival at the scene of the police crane which towed Besigye and his car. “He did not want to be captured as he came in with the police crane. He kept asking me what I was capturing. I warned him against touching my camera and he left.”

On the same day, journalists also confronted the District Police Commander of the Central Police Division James Ruhweza over police actions against the journalists covering opposition related activities. The police were deliberately blocking the media from capturing the incident involving the towing away of Besigye’s car.

HRNJ-Uganda condemns this latest approach by the police to target the journalists in such a manner. 

“The environment for frontline journalists is getting more dangerous by the day at the hands of both the uniformed and un-uniformed police men. This is all in total abuse and violation of their cardinal duty to protect Ugandans as they maintain law and order in society. It is wrong for the police to criminalize the work of journalists who cover news items involving the opposition. The police leadership seems to be in total agreement with this act because they have not come out to take action against officers who target journalists. We appeal to the Inspector General of Police to prevail over this situation with earnestness.” 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