The Greater Masaka Journalists Association (GREMAJA), an umbrella association representing all journalists in the Masaka sub region, has strongly condemned the recent assault of some of its members by the body guard of National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
The GRMAJA president, Farish Magembe in a press statement issued on Sunday highlighted that some of his members; Gertrude Mutyaba of NTV, Magret Kayondo of Radio Simba, and Zainab Namusaazi of NBS TV were assaulted by Kyagulanyi’s bodyguards as he had attended a burial ceremony.
“We have identified one of the perpetrators as Achileo, a bodyguard to Hon. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, also known as Bobi Wine, the NUP Principal,” Magembe said.
The incident occurred during the coverage of a burial ceremony in Manja Village, Lwengo district, where Kyagulanyi and other dignitaries were in attendance.
He alleges that a group of private bodyguards, led by Achileo, assaulted the aforementioned journalists and destroyed some of their equipment while they were on duty.
“This act of brutality is not only an attack on the media but also a deliberate attempt to infringe upon freedom of expression. Such oppression undermines the fundamental rights of journalists to report freely and without fear of violence,” he said adding;
“We call upon the police to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and urge media rights defenders, such as the Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ) and other human rights organizations, to take a keen interest in this case.”
Magembe said that GREMAJA is committed to seeking justice for its fellow journalists and will pursue public prosecution to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
“This press release is issued to inform the public and all concerned parties of the ongoing efforts to uphold media freedom and protect journalists from violence and oppression,” he added.
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