Source: UJA Website
March, Thursday, 13, 2025 went down in the history of Uganda as a dark day for the Uganda Media industry when several journalists covering the Kawempe North parliamentary by election were brutally attacked and left indelibly with sustained bodily injuries from a well-choreographed deadly operation by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) officers and its sister security agency, the Uganda Police Force, on journalists.
This un precedent violence on journalists was preceded by the Wednesday 12 March brutal attack on the Nation Media Group (NMG) journalist Steven Kibwiika who was attacked with among other journalists; Thomas Kitimbo-Next Media, as they filmed the footage for an alleged pre ticked ballot papers news story in Namere-Kawempe North for one of the candidates in the race, leaving Kibwiika in a sustained bodily pelvic injurious pain from the brutal kicks by the security personnel who were guarding the premises where the said activity took place.
Kibwiika’s brutal attack was triggered by his decision to resist the taking over his camera which was later confiscated from him forcefully. Having been chased out of the premises in a hot pursuit, the already traumatized Kibwiika collapsed down to the point of nearly hitting his head on a parked car there from where he was picked and rushed to the Doctor’s Hospital along Gayaza road for an urgent medical attention.
On the Kawempe North election poling day, several journalists from various media platforms had camped sporadically in the 9 parishes that make up the constituency to execute their noble duty as usual while adorned in well branded press jackets and tags, but only to start witnessing one after the other being attacked intentionally.
These violent attacks that gained attention from the mid-day, were being carried out by both the plain cloth and uniformed UPDF and other security force’s officers with balaclavas on their faces, save for the mouth and eye openings that were only left.
Wielding the guns and “solido” hard wire cut pieces, the officers strategically and deliberately beat up journalists badly to the point of dropping blood from the sustained bodily injuries. Some of their cameras were confiscated and mobile phones, while others were intentionally were damaged.
Following that untold brutality, journalist Moses Waisswa with Busoga One Radio sustained bodily injuries on the head and hands, according to our findings. Other journalists that sustained serious bodily injuries were among others; Francis Isano- Next Media, Raymond Tamale- NMG, Denis Kabugo-NMG, Jamir Ssekagya-UBC and Everest Mukiibi-Vision Group. They were left with torture marks on the neck, limbs, shoulders, heads and hands.
Journalists who fell victims of the security brutality told the UJA team that the attacks on journalists were targeted and pre-meditated, stressing that at some point the attackers had disguised their identities as they were interested in some notable media figures that they looked for and they kept on mentioning their names.
More than 28 journalists were brutally attacked according to the report by the UJA team. These attacks were mainly in Kazo Angola parish, Kawempe Mbogo parish and Kiganda Zone- Kawempe one parish.
They were in form of brutal beating/assault, confiscation of cameras and mobile phones, damaging of cameras and mobile phones, arrests, and detention and intimidation. The attackers were moving on military armoured vehicles, pickups, motorcycles and vans baptized as drones.
Journalists Raymond Tamale, Denis Kabugo and Abubaker Lubowa, all with NMG, were among those that were arrested, thrown in the drone and driven to unknown place. It later emerged that they were detained at Kawempe Police station. Journalists who survived the violent attacks had tactfully and miraculously fled for the safety of their dear life to the near residencies in the communities.
This criminal violence was strongly condemned by the different local media houses most of which later took a hard decision to withdrawal their journalists from the field following the safety concerns.
International community including the European Union and others joined a long list of those that condemned the brutality on journalists. The violence was also condemned by several international media bodies and the Uganda Human Rights Commission.
Media Organizations Protest Brutality and Violence on Journalists.
Led by the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), leaders from different media organizations including the Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA), Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA), Uganda Journalists Union (UJU), Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ), Uganda Media Women Association (UMWA), Editor’s Guild and National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) strongly condemned the brutality that was meted on journalists.
From a joint press conference that was held on Thursday evening at Speke Hotel in Kampala, the media organization leaders resolved to slap a blackout protest against the security agencies pending an engagement through which the issues at stake must be addressed.
UJA secretary general Emmanuel Kirunda, explained that the boycott is meant to serve as a lesson to those perpetuating impunity.
“Our action has been informed by the growing acts of impunity on journalists by security personnel. We are worried as impunity is at the highest in the country. When impunity takes over, it means abrogation of rule of law. We are simply saying, enough is enough,” Kirunda noted.
Kirunda expressed fear over the growing trend of electoral violence and brutality on journalists and citizens that should be addressed by the relevant authorities before it is too late for the country. “We are worried this might go on up to the forthcoming election. We have to tame it before it goes out of hand.”
He demanded that all gadgets confiscated be returned and those broken be compensated before he could demand for production and punishment of the perpetrators.
UPPA president, Sam Ibanda Mugabi said they have reached a decision to boycott activities of security agencies as a way of fighting back.
“Going forward, we think journalists need safety and rights respected but continued violation of rights is getting out of hand. With immediate effect, we are saying we shall not cover activities of security organs be it Police or the UPDF until we engage leadership of these security organs on the safety of journalists,” Ibanda said.
HRNJ Executive Director Robert Ssempala noted whereas it is a painful decision, it will go a long way in serving a lesson to security agencies about ensuring safety of journalists. “This is not the kind of journalism that the Uganda Constitution envisaged. The situation has turned from worse to worst since human lives are now at stake,” Ssempala stated.
Ssempala, “They always say journalists are not well branded or didn’t have identification cards. This was not the case today. They always claim journalists were mistaken to be rioters but this time round, there was no rioting.”
UJU national treasurer Kenneth Arerenge observed that the choreographed attacks on journalists were intended to intimidate them and limit access to critical information before he could call for reprimand of all the perpetrators.
USPA president Moses Al Sayed Lubega explained that the media blackout on security agencies was a collective decision by all the organizations, calling upon all the stake holders to render it all the necessary support.
NAB and Editor’s Guild were not able to attend the press conference since it was on short notice but sent their resolute messages through HRNJ Director Ssempala supporting the cause, while UMWA’s was delivered through UJA secretary general Kirunda.
UPDF’s Fresh Brutality on Journalist is a Disregard of Court Order.
From the November 13, 2024 landmark judgement that was handed down by the High Court’s justice Boniface Wamala out of the February 2021 petition filed by the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), journalists Timothy Murungi and Henry Sekanjako versus the Attorney General, CDF and other eight individual UPDF officers commanded by Lt. Col Napoleon Namanya, it was held that any physical attack on journalists in form of torture, beatings, destruction/damage or even confiscation of their work tools, is a violation of press freedom and human rights under the Constitution, Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, Human Rights Enforcement Act, and therefore must never happen again.
Under that filed petition, the journalists were challenging the growing brutal attacks on them in form of beating/ assault, using the infamous UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner Kololo incident when they were badly beaten by the military as they covered a story about the petition on abducted NUP supporters by their party leader Bobi Wine, that was being delivered there.
“Two declarations shall issue, namely; a declaration that the rights of the Timothy Murungi and Henry Sekanjako ( applicants) to dignity and freedom from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment under Articles 24 and 44(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda were violated by the respondents except the CDF respondent; and a declaration that the right of the Murungi and Sekanjako (applicants) to freedom of the press and the media under Article 29(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda were violated by the respondents except the CDF”. Justice Wamala held.
Court further held that, Human Rights Enforcement Act, a public officer who, individually or in association with others, violates or participates in the violation of a person's rights or freedoms shall be held personally liable for the violation notwithstanding the state being vicariously liable for his or her actions. The applicants have therefore satisfied the Court that all the eight individual UPDF officers (respondents) are personally liable for the offensive conduct, thus fining them with a 150 million shillings payment as compensations to the affected journalists.
Full List of the Brutalized Journalists in Kawempe Parliamentary by Election.
List of the Journalists Attacked by the UPDF and Members of its Sister Security Agencies as of May Wednesday 12th 2025 and March Thursday 13th 2025. This List is part of our efforts to file another Court case in pursuit of justice for the affected journalists. NB; Compilation of the List is still going on.
They include:
1. Steven Kibwiika- Nation Media Group -Spark TV (NMG).
2. Hasfah Nanvuma- Spark TV -NMG
3. Raymond Tamale- NTV NMG
4. Denis Kabugo- NTV – NMG
5. Abubaker Lubowa- Daily Monitor- NMG
6. David Ijjo- NTV- NMG
7. Everest Mukiibi- Bukedde Radio Embuutikizi- Vision Group
8. Ruhweza Ibrahim- New Vision -Vision Group
9. Isaac Nuwagaba- New Vision -Vision Group
10. Francis Isano- Nile Post Next Media
11. Hakim Wampamba- NBS TV-Next Media
12. Hassan Wasswa- NBS TV -Next Media
13. Thomas Kitimbo -NBS TV -Next Media
14. Adam Mayambala- NBS TV -Next Media
15. Julius Bakabage NBS TV -Next Media
16. Canary Mugume NBS TV -Next Media
17. Shamim Nabakooza -NBS TV -Next Media
18. Moses Jjunju- BBS TV
19. Bakabulindi – BBSTV
20. Jamir Ssekagya -UBC
21. Annet- UBC
22. Yasin Oyo- Salt Media
23. Gabriel Owola- Salt Media
24. Isaac Kyagambiddwa- Salt Media Driver
25. Robert Mutebi- Salt Media.
26. Brian Ssenkumba Channle 44 TV.
27. Solomon Male- Delta TV
28. David Mwesigwa- Galaxy TV
29. James Kamali – Radio Simba
30. Moses Waisswa – Busoga One
31. Yasin Kikoyo.
Journalists Attacked During the Kawempe North parliamentary By Election Nomination Day,
February 26, 2025:
1.Miracle Ibra- Top TV
Journalists Attacked in March 4th and 5th 2025 By the Wandegeya Police Officers at Wandegeya
Police Station:
1. Steven Mbidde- NTV- NMG
2. Steven Kibwiika- Spark TV -NMG.
Journalists Detained; December 2024- February 21, 2025.
1.Musa Sewankambo – Kingdom TV
2.Richard Wanambwa- Eagle Online.
