The situation with journalists being arrested and assaulted while covering the Kawempe North by-election in Uganda is escalating and heavy reports of mistreatment.
According to recent updates, security operatives have dumped the arrested journalists near Kawempe Police station.
“Raymond Tamale, Abubaker Lubowa, and Denis Kabugo who earlier on were brutally assaulted and abducted in a drone have now been returned, bearing physical scars from cable wire and baton beatings. They were abandoned at Kawempe Police Station.” Our reporter noted.
This incident is part of a larger pattern of violence against journalists in Uganda. Just yesterday, a Spark TV cameraman, Steven Kibwiika, was hospitalized after being assaulted by armed men believed to be security operatives while covering the campaign of an opposition candidate.
The Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) has condemned these attacks, calling them a direct violation of press freedom.
The first attack was recorded when Miracle Ibanda, a reporter with Top TV, was beaten by security personnel. Since then, other journalists, including Stephen Kibwiha from NMG, have faced similar assaults. Reports have also emerged of journalists being forced to delete footage, raising serious concerns about press freedom and the safety of media workers.
Journalists filming the situation and conducting interviews at Mbogo Primary School were chased away. This polling station, where NRM candidate Faridah Nambi cast her vote, had attracted a significant number of journalists. The area also had a notable presence of security operatives, including Military Police and UPDF personnel.
Armed vehicles, drones, and other surveillance tools were seen passing by the station at regular intervals. Robert Ssempala, National Coordinator for Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ) Uganda, condemned the continued attacks, warning that they are no longer isolated incidents but a systematic effort to suppress media coverage. He also noted that, in some cases, police have attempted to cover up these assaults.
Ssempala further stressed that the repeated attacks on journalists raise serious concerns about the credibility of the election.
“As security forces continue to suppress media coverage, there are growing fears that the press is being deliberately silenced, limiting the public’s access to information and undermining the transparency of the electoral process.
The ongoing violence against journalists casts doubt on the fairness of the election and raises alarms about the erosion of press freedom in the country,” he added.
Even before the by-election, the state of journalism in Uganda had been deteriorating, with security forces frequently targeting and attacking journalists.
According to Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 Press Freedom Index, Uganda ranks 128th out of 180 countries.
