HRNJ-Uganda alert, Journalist charged with dissemination of false news.

Bushenyi, 24^th April 2015; Zadock Amanyisa, a Daily Monitor correspondent based in Bushenyi was on 22^nd April incarcerated and charged by the police for allegedly disseminating false news. The journalist reported a story on the same day titled “Let us return to Obote’s security system”. The story quoted the security minister, Mary Karooro Okurut as saying “we need to bring back the mayumba kumi system of administration where every 10 homes make a cluster, which gives the chairman LCI the duty to identify who has slept in the village; that is how we shall get to know and beware of strange people who are likely to cause insecurity”.

Zadock told HRNJ-Uganda that in his story, he analyzed the minister’s remarks and compared her call to return to the ‘mayumba kumi’ security measure to mean that she wanted the community to adopt President Obote’s ‘manyumba kumi’ security system which included having a leader for every 10 house-holds.

“After hearing the word ‘mayumba kumi’, I went to the community to find out what it means. I spoke to a number of elderly persons who told me that it was a security mechanism exported by Obote from Tanzania. Some people said it was brought by Binaisa under UNLFP but I failed to find enough evidence to back that. I then read articles on the internet which also confirmed that it was an Obote system”

“On 22^nd April, I received a call from the OC CID Bushenyi who asked me to go and meet him immediately adding that my quick response to his call would save me. When I arrived at the station, he said that he had orders from above to detain me for a story I had written”

When HRNJ-Uganda contacted Peter Tindyebwa, the OC CID Bushenyi about the ‘orders from above’ to arrest, detain and charge the journalist, he said “I acted on my own capacity and as a policeman I have powers to arrest and detain, I was doing my work”. He also denied having used the provisions of the Press and Journalist Act to charge the journalist, and when asked under what law he based his charges, he alluded to sections 179 and 180 of the Penal Code Act, that create the offence of criminal defamation, adding that this was an official matter and if we needed any information, we should go to his office, as he was not sure of who he was talking to.

HRNJ-Uganda is dismayed by the actions of the Uganda police in orchestrating the arrest, and detention of a journalist on charges of disseminating false information, an offence which was de-criminalized by the Supreme Court in 2004, in the case of Charles Onyango Obbo & Andrew Mwenda against the Attorney General. The provisions of the Press and Journalist Act which have been allegedly used to charge the journalist, give mandate to the disciplinary committee of the Media Council and not the police over issues of professional conduct. 

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 / admin@hrnjuganda.org

 

 

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