Journalists Storm Out Of Security Presser At Media Centre In Protest To Police Brutality

Posted by: Eninu William in Uganda news December 28, 2020

Authorities had earlier today deployed heavily armed Police and Military officers at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala following a demonstration by journalists against brutality.

This happened during the press conference by the UPDF Political Commissar Brig. Henry Matsiko. He was addressing the nation on the upcoming Tarehe Sita celebrations.

According to Brig Matsiko, the celebrations will kick off in late January in Masaka and some areas of Kampala. After his address, journalists tasked him to explain why they keep brutalizing their colleagues on the campaign trails. They also asked him to issue an apology which he failed to.

The journalists in unison later unanimously stormed out of the media centre leaving the UPDF Commissar alone in the building.

UPDF spokesperson Brig Flavia Byekwaso tried to calm down the journalists following the incident. Her efforts fell on deaf ears.

When a journalist asked Brig. Byekwaso about the heavy deployment at the media center, she replied that they got a tip off that journalists wanted to beat them. Therefore they had to beef up security.

“We will not cover your things until you treat us better. We need you to respect our profession,” one of the journalists said.

Meanwhile on Sunday, at least three journalists were left nursing injuries while covering National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine in Masaka.

There have been multiple incidences of security forces unleashing violence on journalists in the past. The most recent has seen multiple journalists end up in hospitals and some even going to the ICU.

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