Police Officers at Katwe Police Station stoned five journalists who were covering staff quarters that had caught fire at the station.
The journalists who were stoned are Joweria Nassaka (Kingdom TV), Ivan Mbadhi (BBS TV), Rachel Mabala (Daily Monitor) Carol Nakibule (Delta TV) and Julius Muhumuza of Dream TV.
It is alleged that the fire which started at about 9:30am burnt six units and was as a result of one electric coil that was being used for cooking in one of the houses.
Joweria Nassaka, told HRNJ-Uganda that they received information that fire had gutted staff quarters at Katwe police station, and upon arrival, were denied entrance into the station by police officers at the main entrance.
This prompted them to go behind the police station where they climbed on top of a nearby house so as to be able to cover their beats.
“We were on the roof covering, then one of the officers who was not dressed in a uniform commanded other officers who were also not dressed in uniform to throw stones at us. One stone hit me on the fore head and it is swollen,” Nassaka said.
Nassaka, who received treatment from Doctor’s Clinic in Mengo said that she was still in severe pain.
“When the police officers started throwing stones at us, I jumped from the roof and fell down, my leg got injured in the process… the Kingdom TV journalist was hit on the head and it is swollen.”Ivan Mbadhi, told HRNJ-Uganda.
When contacted on phone, Emilian Kayima, the spokesperson Kampala Metropolitan Police, feigned ignorance and said, “I have not heard that, we have a communication gap and nobody has told me anything like that,” Kayima said.
‘We highly condemn the actions by the police officers whose core mandate is to keep law and order and ensure that Ugandans are protected. Police officers are expected to be exemplary. Such actions would not differentiate trained police officers from criminals,” HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator Robert Ssempala, said.
