Uganda : Brutal Attack on Journalists On A High

As the violent brutal assault on many journalists covering the Kawempe parliamentary by election by the Ugandan security forces went on, some were being picked and thrown inside the security moving vans- drones as they are called by many, that eventually moved them around different locations in Kampala city before they could be dropped at Kawempe Police station for further detention.

Some of the journalists that tested the wrath were from among other media houses; Success Media and Nation Media Group (NMG). They include; Huzaifah Mugerwa, Denis Kabugo, Abubaker Lubowa and Raymond Tamale, all with NMG.

When the news of their abduction was broken and spread widely like a bush fire amongst the journalist’s community, media professionals from different media platforms and associations launched an immediate campaign through which vigorous demands for their urgent unconditional release were made, and before the close of the day they were released.

They were released with visible torture marks on their bodies as some were seen limping when they could not support themselves to walk with some of their body parts laid bare.

From that point, they were taken to different medical facilities for urgent medical attention where our teams had caught up with them to assess the magnitude of harassment and their health status with the help of their doctors, to better understand how our voices would be lifted higher together in pursuit of justice, and shared their ordeals.

Journalists Unpleasant Experiences Inside the Security Force’s Drones.

Standing in solidarity with all the injured journalists, on Friday March ,14, 2025, the Uganda Journalists Association team led by the secretary general Emmanuel Kirunda paid a hospital visit to the injured journalists at Kampala and Doctors Hospital in Nakasero and Mpererwe respectively. Huzaifah Mugerwa was treated in a different medical facility.

Kirunda was together with the leaders of other media organizations; Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) president Moses Assayed Lubega, Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) president Sam Ibanda Mugabi and Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ) executive director Robert Ssempala.

Interacting with all the visiting teams, the affected journalists recounted their odious experiences while in the security force’s drones. The security forces include the UPDF and Police officers. All the drone’s mirrors are tinted, making it very difficult for any outsider to guess what is going on inside, according to the survivors.

According to the journalists, there is a lot of untold torture inside the drone by the security operatives characterized with intermittent brutal beatings. They noted that the security operative’s faces were covered with balaclavas. “When you’re thrown inside the drone you are welcomed by serious beating from the occupants, to that effect we were badly beaten”. Journalists stated.

The journalists narrated that inside the drone they occupied were other detainees they found while their faces covered with their shirts before they could be directed to do the same.

In an exclusive interview with the UJA team, Huzaifah Mugerwa who was visibly feeling serious pain narrated that he was picked by the security operatives from Kazo Angola where they had camped covering the by election while adorned in a branded press jacket with a tag, and thrown into the drone.

“I was held inside the drone from around 6:00 pm when I was picked until 1:00 am in the morning when I was dropped out around Kawempe Mbogo” Mugerwa recounted.

Mugerwa who accuse the security officers of whipping him with several canes with kicks in the chest inside and outside the drone, stated that he was ordered to either delete his camera footage or format the card upon his brutal arrest which he did, but it could still not save him.“my camera, its stand, phones and money were taken away from me, now I am not working”.

He said inside were security operatives whose faces were covered, directed him to cover his using a cloth in order not to take a look of them.

Journalists, every time the speeding car hit a pothole or a hump, everyone that fell on security officers unavoidably would be caned. “At one time they inquired of whether we needed tea. When we replied in affirmative, they responded by caning us”.

Journalists accused one major Emma Kuteesa of commanding the operation under which they were tortured. “When I gathered courage and asked the beating officers whether they knew major Emma Kuteesa, they said release them”, one of the journalists narrated.

At Kampala Hospital, they showed the visiting teams their bodily injuries that were sustained during their harassment as some had been bandaged on elbows, while others displayed X- rays from the medical facility’s expert team.

The teams had discovered from the doctors and care takers there that Francis Isano (Next Media) was under serious pain following an attempt to injure his neck. “He can hardly swallow the saliva because he feels a lot of pain inside his throat that they attempted to twist”

By the visiting time by the teams, it was also found out that Isano’ s right leg had not been stretched straight since his admission following the severity of the attack on him. His eyes could not open either to recognize visitors, and mouth could not open to speak out.

The government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo while appearing on NBS TV frontline talk show on Thursday 13 also expressed his disappointment with the violent attack on journalists saying it was denting his government image before he could fault the responsible security officers.

The country’s human rights body the Uganda Human Rights Commission had also in a statement strongly condemned violence on journalists, European Union, among others.

That violent attack on journalists prompted media organizations; UJA, UJU, UPPA, HRNJ, NAB, Editors Guild and UMWA to announce a blackout against covering activities of security agencies pending constructive engagement to address the journalist’s safety concerns.

The teams applauded the care takers and doctors for supporting the hospitalized journalists and prayed for their recuperation.

At the Doctors’ s Hospital, journalist Steven Kibwiika who had been rushed there while in critical condition following his brutal attack by the security operatives had been found in progressive improvement. He thanked the visiting teams for checking on him and fighting for him.

All those affected journalists except Isano who is yet to speak out again demands that justice should prevail in respect of those attacks on them. The visiting teams vowed to continue amplifying their voices together with them until justice for them will prevail.