According to the Access to Information Act, every citizen has a right of access to information and records in the possession of the State or any public body, except where the release of the information is likely to prejudice the security or sovereignty of the State or interfere with the right to the privacy of any other person.
On Wednesday as former Works Minister General Katumba Wamala communicated on social media to Ugandans about the sad attack that left his daughter Brenda Nantongo and driver Haruna Kayondo dead, he revealed information that Dorah Atwongyeire was his official spokesperson. Atwongyeire is the online editor for Next Media Services which owns NBS, Nile Post and Next Radio among others.
Ochola, early this year told a joint security press briefing that the police would continue beating journalists for their own safety. At the time, several journalists had sustained injuries from the campaign trail where they were hit with batons, rubber bullets and teargas canisters, in what appeared to be a direct attack against media practitioners.
Annet Najjemba, the Programs Director at Radio Kitara told Uganda Radio Network that as Kyalisiima was broadcasting the event unfolding live on Radio Kitara, security officers arrested him and whisked him off to an unknown destination.
The HRNJ-U Executive Director, Robert Ssempala noted that the statements by Ochola cannot be taken lightly given the fact that police has been the leading violator of media rights.
Elder Mubiru says that such statements from the IGP during this critical campaign time spread hate and may cause violence towards the rest of the journalists which will not be good for the profession.
The journalists who had turned up to cover the Monday press conference tasked the Chief Political Commissar of the Uganda People's Defence Force Brigadier Henry Masiko to apologize for the brutality of journalists by security personnel.
Joshua Mutale and Vennex Watebawa, both members of the Water and Environment Media Network-WEMNET were protesting against the leasing of Bugoma forest reserve to Hoima Sugar Limited by Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom for sugarcane growing.
The duo was arrested on Tuesday evening few minutes after they arrived in Hoima town ahead of the peaceful demonstration against the sale and destruction of Bugoma forest reserve situation in Kyangwali and Kabwoya sub counties in Kikuube district.
Dr Fred Kugonza, the Hoima District Disease Surveillance officer urged the media to join hands with the district Ebola task force teams to verify Ebola information in order to always communicate the facts.
