The Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) has announced a media blackout on the Uganda Police Force following Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire’s refusal to apologize for the brutality inflicted on journalists during the Kawempe by-elections.
During a parliamentary session, Nakaseke South MP Hon. Lutamaguzi Ssemakula demanded that Minister Otafiire issue an apology to journalists for the violence and abductions suffered by members of the Fourth Estate. However, Otafiire dismissed the request, stating that President Museveni had already addressed the matter and that he had nothing to add.
“When you have reached Jesus Christ, you don’t need a Bishop,” Otafiire remarked, emphasizing that he was bound by collective Cabinet responsibility and could not contradict the President’s position. He also noted that he was away in Zimbabwe at the time of the by-election incidents.
His response sparked debate among MPs, with some defending his position while others, such as Kinkizi West MP James Kaberuka, insisted that government must identify those responsible for the acts of brutality.
“There were several demands from the House, including the need to identify the individuals behind these acts of violence,” Kaberuka argued.
In response to Otafiire’s remarks, UPPA President Sam Ibanda Mugabi defended the decision by parliamentary journalists to impose a media blackout on all security agencies until the government assures them of their safety and takes steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, calls for an investigation into the masked individuals who carried out the attacks during the Kawempe by-elections have intensified, with MPs demanding accountability from the government.
