Ghetto
Television Journalist, Ashiraf Saif-llah Kasirye has asked High Court to allow
him to proceed without the Attorney General in the case, in which he wants the
government to compensate him for the injuries he sustained at the hands of
security personnel during the December presidential campaigns.
The
matter was coming up for hearing on Monday before the High Court Civil Division
Judge, Musa Ssekaana but the Attorney General, the only respondent in this case
was no show. As such, Kasirye through his lawyers led by Sulaiman Kakaire asked
the court to proceed without the Attorney General, saying that the evidence on
record shows that they dully served him and don’t know he had skipped court.
Justice Ssekaana did not make any decision on
the matter and instead adjourned the case to March 1 2022 for mention. Kasirye first
petitioned the High court in December 2020 accusing the police of teargassing
him in the mouth, eyes and hit with batons in the stomach. This he said
occurred in Luuka District on November 18 2020 while covering the Police
officers dispersing crowds that had welcomed the former Presidential Candidate,
Robert Kyagulanyi.
Kasirye
contends that on December 27, 2020, a few days after filing the case, as he
was covering Kyagulanyi who was proceeding to Lwengo district, security
officers shot him on the head and he started bleeding profusely before being
rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital. Subsequently, Kasirye went back to the High
Court in Kampala, which allowed him to amend his petition to introduce new
complaints relating to the election violence and the injuries he sustained in
Masaka.
In March 2020, he withdrew his case before Lady Justice Esta Nambayo on
grounds that he was very sick and could not follow the proceedings in court properly.
He reinstated his case on October 12, 2021. In the reinstated case, through his lawyers of
Shield Advocates, Kasirye contends that when he was admitted at Masaka Regional
Referral Hospital, medics found that he had suffered life-threatening
injuries on the skull and brain following the shooting.
The court records show that he was later referred
to Uganda Martyrs Hospital in Lubaga where he underwent an operation and is
still under treatment. "That
on 2nd day of August 2021, I went back to Uganda Martyrs Hospital Lubaga to do
another scan and it showed that the injury on my skull is still visible and my
doctor advised that I need to perform a second operation which, service should
be attained in a different country", reads Kasirye's affidavit.
Kasirye
argues that he has been subjected to the long-term effect of a permanent scar and
severe headache on the left side of the head to the extent that he cannot
use a phone on that side of his head. "I have a ringing sound in my head. I have
word-finding problems. I, most of the time forget people's names, I cannot
pronounce words properly. I have a general body weakness and episodes of
extreme and or easy fatigue and visual impairment", reads Kasirye's
affidavit.
Adding, “I can't play football or ride my
bicycle anymore and these are things I used to do before this injury. I am a
Moslem and I cannot profess my faith properly. I only try to pray when the
headache is a little less. I no longer shower my head properly. I am only able
to clean one side of the head and not the injured part.”
Kasirye
contends that he together with his family have been made to pay hefty medical
bills, which have put a strain on their resources, adding that, he was informed
by his doctor that it might take three years for him to recover. The evidence
before the court shows that Kasirye takes medicine every day with the cheapest
drug costing him Shillings 38,000per day and that by the time he reinstated
this case on October 12 2021, he had spent more than Shillings 75 million in
medical bills.
Kasirye who also notes that his work
gadgets valued at more than Shillings 50 million were damaged in Luuka District
by the government agents, wants to be compensated for damages for the abuse
of his professional rights, emotional stress, loss of earning, physical and
psychological injuries among others.
//Cue in: "bikozi nali sigenda....
Cue Out: ...mumaso ne treatment,”//
English Audio
//Cue in: “it’s even better...
Cue Out: ... to shoot me,"//
Kasirye is not the only victim of the violence
that occurred in the just concluded elections. More than 50 people lost
their lives, dozens were injured while others were arrested. To date, some people are still in prison while
others are yet to get justice for their people who died in various places
across the country.
