EU officials meet journalists beaten at UN office as Bobi Wine delivered petition

Officials of the European Union (EU) in Uganda met journalists beaten by security officers on February 17 as National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine delivered a petition to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) office.

Those attacked included John Cliffe Wamala and Jeff Twesigye of NTV Uganda, Josephine Namakumbi and Joseph Sabiti of NBS, Rashid Nakayi of Galaxy FM, Vision Group’s Timothy Murungi and Irene Abalo of Daily Monitor.

A day after the incident, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen David Muhoozi offered a public apology to reporters.

Hours later, seven UPDF officers were arraigned before a disciplinary court (the Unit Disciplinary Court – UDC) and sentenced.

These were: Capt Jessy Odwenyi, Cpl Justine Nimusiima, Pte Peter Wasswa, Pte Imran Tsame, Pte Victoria Kisakye, Pte Isaac Opiyo and L/cpl Kassim Zirimenya.

Court chaired by Lt Col Gai Mpandwa sentenced Capt Odwenyi, Pte Tsame and Pte Wasswa to 90 days, L/Cpl Zirimenya to 60 days, Pte Kisakye 62 days, and Pte Opiyo 60 days in detention at Makindye Military Barracks. The same court sentenced Nimusiima to severe reprimand.

But Bobi Wine and the reporters claimed the officer that commanded the beating was yet to be arrested.

They thus pushed for criminal charges against this officer.

Now, a month after the incident, the EU met reporters “who were assaulted while carrying out their work on February 17.”

A short statement by the EU in Uganda said the meeting had discussed the difficulty of practicing journalism in Uganda and the need to sensitize security officers on rights of reporters.

“We discussed the challenges that press face, and the importance of ensuring all security personnel are sensitised that Journalism is not a crime,” read part of the statement.