Jailed journalist Remmy Asiteza has finally been brought before Buganda Road Court, but his arraignment has triggered fresh protests from the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), which described the proceedings as irregular and raised concerns about his continued detention.
Asiteza, a journalist with the Daily Express online news website, was on Wednesday arraigned before Buganda Road Court Magistrate Her Worship Rita Kidasa and remanded until September 9, 2026.
However, according to UJA and members of Asiteza’s legal team, the journalist was brought before court secretly, despite assurances that he would be formally produced at 2pm.
UJA said its team, together with Asiteza’s lawyers Robert Benon Jurua, Atabua Shamil, Allan Wagobe and Brenda Bira, had been assured they would be present for the afternoon arraignment.
Instead, the lawyers and journalists were reportedly excluded from the proceedings. UJA said the only people present were State Attorney Joan Keko and Juma Masuumi, identified by the journalists’ body as an aide to Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda and a complainant in the matter.
“We only hope for Asiteza’s fair trial,” UJA said in an update statement following the court appearance.
The development came hours after UJA Secretary General Emmanuel Kirunda issued a protest statement demanding Asiteza’s urgent release and condemning what the association described as his continued detention beyond the constitutionally stipulated period since he had been in detention since Thursday last week.
UJA said Asiteza had been arrested and detained at Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala for several days following an operation involving security operatives attached to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU).
The journalists’ association also said Asiteza’s colleague, Hannington Mbabazi, had been picked up from Bweyogerere-Kirinnya and detained at the SHACU offices before being released without a charge being preferred against him.
According to UJA, police records identified Minister Babalanda and her aide Masuumi as complainants in the matter, although the association said the specific charge against Asiteza had not been made clear at the time of its statement.
UJA linked the journalist’s detention to a recent report he published concerning alleged corruption in the recruitment of Assistant Resident District Commissioners and Resident District Commissioners. The report, according to the association, indicated that the recruitment process was being investigated following a presidential directive.
UJA, however, stressed that the alleged connection had not been established as a matter of fact.
The association said it first became aware of Asiteza’s detention on Tuesday evening and subsequently attempted to secure his release on police bond, but its efforts were unsuccessful.
It further argued that his prolonged detention raised concerns under Article 23(4)(b) of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution, which provides for the production of an arrested person before a court of law within 48 hours, subject to the constitutional provisions.
The journalists’ body described the continued detention as a serious concern for press freedom and warned against what it viewed as possible intimidation or interference with independent journalism.
“UJA therefore demands that journalist Asiteza be unconditionally and urgently released,” Kirunda said in the protest statement, adding that the association was engaging legal teams to help secure the journalist’s freedom.
With Asiteza now remanded until September 9, attention is expected to shift to the legal proceedings and the circumstances surrounding his arrest, detention and the manner in which he was brought before court.
UJA said it would continue monitoring the case and advocating for what it called a fair trial and respect for the rights of journalists.
