By Mukembo Wilfred
Uganda People Defense Forces (UPDF) officers moving in the group on Thursday evening battered NTV Mityana district based journalist Enock Matovu and left him helpless.
In what looks to be a targeted and intentional move, the army officers allegedly first inquired if indeed he was Enock Matovu a journalist, before beating him up badly and telling him how he was on their wanted list for reasons they never disclosed.
Matovu is now under medical attention at Mityana Hospital. He lives in serious pain from his broken arm, back and sustained other serious injuries in that he cannot sit.
Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) have condemned the continuous acts of violence meted on journalists by the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF).
In a press statement signed by Kabuye Ronald, the UJA spokesperson, he said it’s so disheartening that the army continue inflicting barbaric acts on scribes with impunity.
“UJA is determined to continuously condemn, devise means of challenging such barbaric acts on different fronts through legal means and other means as stipulated in the constitution of Republic Uganda.” Said Kabuye
The nasty event happened at Busimbi Gombolola in Mityana district and Matovu is now under medical attention at Mityana Hospital.
The unfortunate and ruthless event comes a week after UPDF, media owners under the National Association Broadcaster (NAB), Human Rights Network for Journalist Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) and other selected journalists held a Public relations event that started with a football match and then dinner.
Uganda Journalists Association President Mathias Rukundo prior to the event issued a statement distancing the association from the Event which he said was meant to hoodwink the country instead of addressing genuine journalist’s issues.
“UJA was contacted by the Deputy Spokesperson of the UPDF on the same issue but we noticed their intention was to attempt to repair damaged public relations with journalists/media, instead of holding sincere discussion on how to end the continued violations of press freedom, brutality, torture etc against our members. Security agencies have been ranked as top violators of rights by many press index reports, therefore the forces to invite journalists allegedly for food, transport refund, football matches instead of resolving issues is a hoodwink and an attempt to divert us from serious discussions of grave human rights violation of journalists” wrote UJA president Mathias Rukundo while distancing the association from the event.
