{UAH} Journalists detained over arrested presenter

---

Halima Athumani

Written by Correspondent

Two journalists were yesterday detained at Wandegeya police station for photographing a radio presenter who had been detained for incitement over the Erias Lukwago saga.The two journalists were Halima Athumani, who works for Uganda Radio Network.She was released after almost 20 minutes, while Mulindwa Mukasa, the chairperson Human Rights Network for Journalists, is still being detained. Richard Kasule also known as Kamadu, a Presenter at Top Radio was arrested just hours after hosting the Deputy Kampala Lord Mayor Suleiman Kidandala.

Kasule is now at Central Police Station.  Earlier Tuesday morning he was picked up from the radio station premises at Bwaise a Kampala suburb by three police officers.

Kasule hosts a radio programme known as Simbula, literally meaning Take off, which runs from 6am to 10am every weekday. His transfer to CPS according to police is because many journalists had flocked the Wandegeya police station where he had been taken for interrogation.

Kasule says he invited the Deputy Lord Mayor to discuss the circumstances that led to the impeachment of the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago on Monday. In a special council meeting chaired by Presidency and Kampala Minister Frank Tumwebaze, city councilors voted to impeach Lukwago whom they accuse of incompetence and abuse of office. The exercise ended in chaos as some of Lukwago's supporters protested, citing a court injunction that had earlier in the morning been issued blocking the voting.

Kasule says as soon as he introduced the slot for the talk show, the Programs Director walked into the studio and passed him a chit. The chit read that the station had just received a call from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to halt the show or the radio station would be switched off.

Kasule adds that since he could not ask the Deputy Mayor Kidandala to walk out he decided to play adverts. He then explained to Kidandala about the situation and the Deputy Mayor agreed to leave the studio.

When the radio show ended, Kasule and Kidandala walked out to the radio station compound and as soon as the Deputy Mayor walked out, the police came in and arrested Kasule.

One of the officers then told him that he was being charged with inciting violence before he was driven to Wandegeya police station.

The Human Rights Network for Journalists Legal officer Diana Nandudu, who is with Kasule says he was interrogated and asked to record a statement.

Assistant Inspector of Police Edward Kasangwa told them that the police would call him for further interrogations after listening in to the talk show recordings. However, as many journalists continued to come to Wandegeya Police Station, Kasule was instead transferred to CPS.

While in the custody room, one of the police officers demanded that journalist Athumani delete the pictures in her camera if she wanted to go scot free, but after a few phone calls, Athumani was escorted out of the police premises.


--

Where there is a will, there is a way.