Members of the media fraternity under their umbrella Uganda Journalists Association, UJA have resolved to hold a peaceful demonstration to express their disgust at the inhumane treatment by police.
The announcement was made by UJA leadership during a press conference at their headquarters on lions shopping centre, Namirembe Road this morning.
Dubbed “Black Friday,” the demonstration comes after several years of inhumane treatment by police over journalists during their course of duty. Journalists have over the years been beaten up and brutally arrested by police officers while covering protests in Kampala and other parts of the country.
They are expected to handover a petition to the speaker of Parliament on Friday morning at 9am, at the parliament of Uganda.
“UJA executive on Tuesday evening resolved to petition the speaker of parliament on Friday at 9am. The petitioning will be preceded by a peaceful demonstration by journalists to Parliament. We are choosing the constitutional square as the starting point of this peaceful protest to the august house” a press release reads.
According to Kabuye Ronald the Information Secretary UJA, they are requesting the speaker and entire legislature to prevail over security agencies so that they refrain from the beastly acts against journalists.
“We shall also request parliament to compel security agencies to openly prosecute errant officers, compensate damaged journalists’ equipment and foot medical bills incurred among others” Kabuye writes.
In the last two months, security agencies have been accused of battering journalists while executing their lawful duties. Some of the incidents are pointed out such as August 13th in Arua where NTV journalists were brutally arrested while broadcasting live. They were later charged with inciting violence.
The same incident occurred on Thursday September 20th in Entebbe when Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi was returning to Uganda from US. Several journalists were arrested and threatened against covering the events.
Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima denied this allegation claiming they were just questioned and nothing more. The same was repeated yesterday at UNHCR offices where refugees were protesting against insecurity in their camps.
UJA now wants all journalists to show up in solidarity and fight for their rights, as dialogue with police has failed. The last time journalists (reporters) took action, they blacklisted police. However, the IGP OMO met with different Editors and demanded that they re-deploy all defiant crime reporters in other departments and send police new faces, something most Editors adhered to.
It remains unclear if police will allow them to demonstrate peacefully.
