Journalists should be treated like Human Beings and their Rights should be respected.

By Teddy Namayanja,

Public Relations Officer – Foundation for Human Rights Initiative

After visiting Andrew Lwanga, a journalist attached to WBS TV on the 14^th of Jan 2015 in Nsambya hospital where he was admitted after being badly beaten by the District Police Commander Old Kampala Joram Mwesigye, I haven’t stopped wondering and questioning why the police continuously treat journalists in such inhumane manner when doing their job.

We all know that the media has and continues to do tremendous work in fulfilling its overall mandate of playing a watchdog role over society by informing and educating the public through providing the population with a forum to express their views on different issues ranging from good governance, accountability and democracy among others. If the police continue to suffocate their (journalist’s) working environment, how best can they then execute their work when they are caged?

Lwanga was only the latest victim joining a long list of journalists brutalized by law enforcement officers simply for doing their job as the fourth estate----keep watch over power holders.

Since 2009, media freedom has been characterized by increased incidents of violence and harassment against journalists especially by security agencies. Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ) has documented over 400 cases of attacks on journalists reported to the police. However, the files seem to have gone cold with no investigations.  This high level of impunity is threatening the media industry as journalists; denied the opportunity to do their job, flee to safer jobs. This flight and lack of scrutiny might be celebrated by the power holders as a victory in the short term but it is only a pyric victory and the long term cost to society is immeasurable. 

Well, one would argue and say this time round police has owned up to their acts, apologized and prosecuted the perpetrator of the violence, Police Officer Mwesigye. However, more needs to be done to assuage fears that the era of law and order is not mere political talk but a reality. Beyond the usual statements and flimsy excuses given by the police, journalists should be respected. They have all the rights to access information and share it with the public as enshrined under Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995, Article 29 Clause 1(a) which says “Every person shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression which shall include freedom of the press and other media”.

Perhaps the police as an institution needs to continuously be reminded that they should desist from use of excessive force but rather execute their role and mandate as required under Article 221 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and I quote “It shall be the duty of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and any other police force, the Uganda Prisons Service, all Intelligence Services and the National Security Council to observe and respect human rights and freedoms in the performance of their functions’.

The question of freedom of expression especially media freedoms is a key issue that we all should advocate for in our respective capacities, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are; the continued acts of impunity by the Uganda Police Force should not go unpunished and most importantly, all Ugandans should strongly denounce such barbaric acts.