The safety of journalists in Uganda is increasingly at risk as members of the community turn against them, compromising their ability to perform their duties without fear of intimidation or violence.
This alarming trend was highlighted on August 27, 2024, when Didas Mugisha, the Director of Junious Nursery and Primary School in Jagala-Gombe, Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, launched a violent attack on journalists Robert Musanje and Daniel Sserwanga, who work for Bukedde TV and HGTV, respectively.
The incident occurred as the journalists were investigating complaints from six teachers about unpaid salaries and general mistreatment by the school director. After listening to the teachers’ grievances, the journalists attempted to get the director’s side of the story by seeking an interview with him. However, instead of granting them an audience, Mugisha attacked them with his fists and a wooden object, causing serious injuries. One of the journalists even lost a tooth during the assault.
“We received a complaint from about six aggrieved teachers regarding unpaid salaries,” Sserwanga recounted. “We asked them to take us to the director’s office to hear his side of the story, but before we could even enter, he started beating us with his fists and a large piece of wood he picked from the school compound. I lost a tooth in the attack.”
Sserwanga’s account was corroborated by his colleague Musanje, who added that his camera was severely damaged during the assault, rendering it non-functional.
In separate interviews, both journalists described the physical pain they were experiencing. Sserwanga said, “I am feeling severe pain in my leg and the tooth,” while Musanje reported, “I have a backache and general body pain due to the blows inflicted on me.” Sserwanga also expressed concern for their safety, saying, “We are not safe at all. We need those responsible to intervene seriously because we are very uncomfortable covering community stories.”
A case has been opened against Mugisha, who is on the run. Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luku Oweyesigire confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation is underway into the director’s actions. “Our investigations are focusing on the school director, who is accused of beating up journalists, along with his wife and another individual,” Oweyesigire said.
The affected journalists have since received medical support from the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) through the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders.
This attack is part of a broader pattern of increasing hostility towards journalists from community members. Earlier this week, Samuel Ssewanyo Kiganda, the caretaker of Horizon Covenant Children Home in Njeru Central Division, assaulted journalist Godfrey Masiko of Nation Media and Emmanuel Bulukusa, who were covering a land dispute involving Lydia Kalemera, the deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC).
“I was assaulted, and all my cameras were smashed,” said Bulukusa, who works with Vision Group. “My colleague wasn’t physically injured, but his camera was destroyed as well.”
The assault on these journalists is a stark reminder of the dangers they face in their line of work. It exacerbates an already volatile environment where journalists frequently encounter violence, particularly from state actors and security agencies.
Robert Ssempala, the Executive Director of HRNJ-Uganda, condemned the attacks, stating, “The physical assault on journalists is a clear indication of the shrinking space for press freedom in Uganda.” He urged the government to take concrete steps to protect journalists and ensure that those responsible for such violence are swiftly brought to justice, thereby creating a safer operating environment for journalists in Uganda.
