Journalists from the Parliament Press have staged a boycott of the Defence Committee of Parliament, where the Minister for Internal Affairs, Major-General Kahinda Otafiire, and his deputy General David Muhoozi were scheduled to present their ministerial policy statements for the 2024/25 financial year.
The boycott follows a tense exchange during the committee meeting, where Members of Parliament, including Luttamaguzi Ssemakula and James Kaberuka, demanded an apology and assurances from the police force regarding the safety of journalists and citizens.
This comes after journalists were tortured while covering the Kawempe North by-election, with some still recovering from injuries.
In response, Otafiire told the committee that the matter had already been addressed on the floor of Parliament by Minister Muhoozi.
He added that he could not speak for the individuals responsible for the torture of journalists, whom he referred to as “goons.”
The boycott is set to continue, according to Parliament Press Association president Sam Ibanda Mugabi, who informed the media that it followed a collective agreement from all media associations.
Mugabi emphasized that the boycott would persist until the Ministry of Defence, including Army and Prisons representatives, issues an apology for the damage caused to journalists’ equipment during the incident.
