Uganda: WPF Demands Accountability for Bobi Wine’s Bodyguards Assaulting and Harassing 3 Women Journalists
Women Press Freedom condemns the denial of interview permits to CNA correspondents
Location: Uganda, Lwengo
Date: May 18, 2024
Women Press Freedom condemns the violent attacks by security forces against journalists covering the funeral of opposition leader Bobi Wine. Margaret Kayondo was punched repeatedly and had her phone stolen. Zainab Namusaazi was hit on the knee, and her camera was broken. Security forces also attempted to confiscate Gertrude Mutyaba's camera. These actions are unacceptable and must be addressed immediately by Bobi Wine, his party the National Unity Platform (NUP), and law enforcement. Political parties should implement stricter controls over their security personnel to prevent future incidents. Women Press Freedom demands Ugandan authorities conduct a comprehensive investigation into the assaults, ensuring those responsible are held accountable. Worryingly, this is just the latest example of a troubling pattern of violence and intimidation against journalists in Uganda. Two weeks prior, a journalist was assaulted and robbed while covering a land dispute. The response from authorities and political parties following these latest vicious assaults will be crucial in determining whether justice is served and future attacks are prevented.
On May 18, 2024, private bodyguards of opposition leader and former MP Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, assaulted and harassed three women journalists: Zainab Namusaazi, Gertrude Mutyaba, and Margaret Kayondo.
The journalists were attacked while covering a prominent businessman's funeral in Manja village, Lwengo district.
Margaret Kayondo, a reporter with Radio Simba, was filming Wine’s arrival when two bodyguards attacked her. She was pushed to the ground, repeatedly slapped, and punched in the back, resulting in a nosebleed and general body pain. Her mobile phone and sweater were also stolen.
“As I was taking photos, I felt someone punching me in the back,” Kayondo recounted to the news outlet Monitor. “He also asked me why I was recording ‘nonsense’.”
Since the incident, Kayondo has been experiencing headaches and chest pain.
Zainab Namusaazi, a journalist with Next Media Services, witnessed Kayondo's assault and intervened. She was then punched on the knee, and her camera was broken by a bodyguard identified as Achileo Kivumbi.
“I told them to stop it, and that is when one of his bodyguards, who had a black mask, started pulling my leg as he wanted me to fall,” Namusaazi told the Entebbe Post. “We were just doing our job, covering a public event, and suddenly we were under attack.”
Gertrude Mutyaba from Nation Media Group, was also targeted. A bodyguard grabbed her camera and attempted to confiscate it, but was stopped by Edward Ssebuwufu, the head of Kyagulanyi’s security.
Namusaazi and Kayondo both filed police reports at Kiwangala Police Station following the assaults.
Journalists in the Greater Masaka region, under the Greater Masaka Journalists Association (GREMAJA), have demanded an apology from the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership following the attacks.
At a press conference, the leader of the journalists association emphasized the need for NUP to clarify its stance on media relations and prevent future violence. If NUP fails to respond, the journalists threatened to halt coverage of the party.
“We were just doing our job, covering a public event, and suddenly we were under attack.”
Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) response has been mixed. Deputy spokesperson for the party Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro dismissed the journalists' claims as baseless. Whereas, party spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi, also the opposition leader in Parliament, acknowledged the need for an investigation and promised accountability if wrongdoing was found.
Women Press Freedom expresses deep concern over the alarming frequency of physical assaults targeting journalists in Uganda. Over the past year, our organization has documented a series of brutal attacks against four women journalists within the country. Earlier this month, freelance reporter Juliet Kyarisiima was attacked by a group of armed assailants and left injured and shaken while covering a public meeting addressing a contentious land issue in Buhweju.
In July 2023, Nowamani Ainembabazi, a journalism intern, was assaulted while covering a press conference at the FDC headquarters in Kampala. Ainembabazi endured injuries to her mouth needing immediate medical attention. Similarly, Mariam Nagadya and Swaburah Owomuksia faced violent assault and unwarranted detention while reporting on opposition protests at Entebbe International Airport in October 2023.
These attacks on women journalists in Uganda, exemplified by the brutal incidents involving Zainab Namusaazi, Gertrude Mutyaba, and Margaret Kayondo, are not isolated occurrences but part of a disturbing trend that threatens press freedom and democracy. The response from the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership has been inadequate; this failure to take decisive action reveals a broader issue of impunity for violence against the press.
Women Press Freedom calls on the NUP and all political entities to unequivocally condemn such violence, hold the perpetrators accountable, and implement measures to ensure the safety of journalists. We urge the Ugandan government to prioritize the protection of press freedom and to foster an environment where journalists, especially women, can perform their roles without fear of assault or harassment.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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