Brutal Crackdown: Security Forces Assault Journalists Covering Kawempe North By-Election

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By hrnj Alerts Attacks Featured Post Impunity March 13, 2025

In a shocking display of violence, security operatives on March 13, 2025, severely assaulted and intimidated at least 12 journalists covering the Kawempe North by-election.

Among the victims were Abu Lubowa (Daily Monitor), Raymond Tamale (NTV), Hassan Waswa (NBS TV), Ramson Muhirwe (NBS TV), Kikoyo Yasin, Mwesigwa David (Galaxy TV), Denis Kabugo (NTV), Hakim Wampamba (NBS TV), Hasifah Nanvuma (Daily Monitor), Isano Francis (Next Media photographer), and Moses Waiswa (Busoga One).

Hasifah Nanvuma recounted her harrowing experience on live TV:
“I was speaking to voters when UPDF soldiers arrived in two patrol vehicles and began arresting people. When some of them saw the camera, they attacked me, beating me with sticks and damaging my equipment.”

Fearing for her life, she took desperate measures to evade further assault:
“I ran into a nearby building, removed my press jacket and scarf, and hid in a toilet for safety.”

Francis Isano, a seasoned photojournalist with Next Media, was brutally beaten with batons and an electric wire, leaving him unconscious. He was rushed to Kampala Hospital for emergency medical attention.

This was not the first time Isano had suffered such violence in his career. The brutality left him in critical condition.

Condemnation from Journalists and Media Houses

Canary Mugume, a senior journalist with NBS TV, strongly condemned the attacks:
“This was a deliberate attempt to drive cameras away. Their intention is to remove the media from the field so they can act with impunity. But we will not back down. We will continue covering this election and informing the public.”

Henry Mugenyi, an NBS TV reporter, described the assault as a direct attack on press freedom:
“They were beating anyone holding a camera, phone, or any recording device. If journalists are attacked while covering the election, who will inform the public?”

The violence forced several media houses, including NBS TV and BBS TV, to evacuate their teams from the field for safety.

Shamim Nabakooza, another senior reporter at NBS TV, expressed her devastation:
“Seeing my colleague assaulted makes me weep—not just as a journalist, but as a daughter of men in uniform. We need to inform the public, but we also need to stay alive.”

Hakim Wampamba, an NBS TV reporter, detailed the violence:
“Men in an unmarked drone vehicle started arresting people. When Hassan Waswa tried to film, he was slapped heavily, and his camera was taken. Security operatives later returned and beat us even more brutally. I thank the woman who helped me escape, but I am sorry I couldn’t save my colleagues.”

HRNJ-Uganda Demands Justice

HRNJ-Uganda’s Executive Director, Robert Ssempala, condemned the attacks and demanded accountability:
“Security operatives must be held accountable for these crimes. Attacks on the media threaten democracy. The press must unite against this impunity before the 2026 elections.”

The NBS management also issued a statement denouncing the violence, calling for the immediate release of detained journalists and the return of confiscated media equipment.