KAMPALA
Canary Mugume says he remembers the sting of wiping blood off his own face, not from an accident, but, he claims, from an assault by a partner, Sasha Ferguson. Yet even then, he stayed silent.
That silence, the NBS TV journalist now says, is what traps many men in cycles of domestic abuse that rarely make the headlines and almost never make police statistics.
In a long post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, Mugume alleged that he has endured violence behind closed doors, describing himself as “part of the unreported statistics of men who experience domestic violence from partners with uncontrolled anger issues.”
“I Am Part of the Unreported Statistics of Male Victims of Domestic Violence,” says Journalist Canary Mugume
He said he chose to speak out after what he called attempts to “label [him] an abuser and an irresponsible father,” a characterisation he insists is false.
“Because we are men in a corporate world, we stay silent and show up every day,” he wrote. “I restrained myself immensely despite all provocations and assaults. But society will, of course, believe the female gender.”
Mugume said he has evidence of injuries he sustained, and that close friends and family are aware of the alleged incidents.
On claims that he neglected his children, the journalist said he has maintained monthly financial support despite seeing them only once in ten months. He said the amount he sends was determined by the accuser, not him, and that he has receipts and messages acknowledging the payments.
He added that he sought legal redress and was granted custody of the children, a court order he says authorities “deliberately failed to enforce.” Mugume alleges the ruling stemmed from a finding that the children had been deserted in a locked apartment with a maid while their mother travelled abroad.
“Since January, I have been denied access to my children, despite numerous requests and third parties intervening,” he said.
Mugume urged men facing similar situations not to remain silent. “Speak up against violence from your wives when you still have the chance,” he wrote. “I suffered in silence for too long. It didn’t help.”
He concluded by asking the public for space to heal, saying he would not comment further on the matter.
Authorities had not commented on his claims by press time, and the other party involved had not issued a public response.
