By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
MITOOMA
Two journalists were assaulted, detained and had their equipment damaged while on duty in Mitooma district after they attempted to verify allegations of police officers’ absenteeism at Kashenseero Police Station.
The journalists, Hillary Twinamatsiko of Nation Media Group (NMG) and Sympathy Magezi of Voice of Ruhinda, were attacked on Monday, June 15, by security personnel while following up on a story regarding claims that officers were not present at the station during working hours.
The incident followed a video recorded last week by Kashenshero Town Council Mayor Hillary Allan Asiimwe, also known as Gen Don Van Allan, showing what appeared to be an unattended police office at the station during late hours.
The video sparked concern among residents, who questioned the availability of security personnel in the area.
Twinamatsiko said the journalists visited the area to independently verify the allegations and had interviewed some residents before heading to meet the mayor for his side of the story.
“We first interviewed residents and later boarded a boda boda to go and interview the mayor. We did not know that one of the residents had alerted police, who started following us,” Twinamatsiko said.
He said security personnel intercepted them before reaching the mayor’s home and forced them, together with the boda boda rider, into a police patrol vehicle before taking them to Kashenseero Police Station.
According to Twinamatsiko, they were briefly detained and allegedly assaulted for about 30 minutes by junior officers, who demanded their phones and camera equipment.
“They forced us to hand over our gadgets and delete the footage. My camera lens was vandalised. My colleague Magezi did not even have any footage on her phone but she was also punished,” he said.
The journalists were later transferred to Mitooma Central Police Station where they were charged with alleged computer misuse under case file number GEF 06/2026. They were released on police bond and ordered to report back to the Officer in Charge of Criminal Investigations on June 22.
Medical documents from Kyeizooba Farmers Clinic indicate that Twinamatsiko sustained injuries during the alleged assault. The report shows he suffered soft tissue injuries, tenderness on his left lower back and facial bruises. His blood pressure was also recorded as elevated at 134/96 mmHg, a condition frequently associated with acute pain and severe physical stress.
Journalists in the greater Bushenyi region convened a press conference at Peak Hotel Bushenyi in which they condemned the incident, describing it as an attack on press freedom and the ability of reporters to execute their duties.
“We have been covering police events whenever called and we have never been harassed. Why would they treat journalists this way?” questioned Zephrine Rutaro, a journalist in Bushenyi.
The journalists have demanded an apology from police authorities and compensation for the damaged equipment. They have also called on the Internal Affairs Minister, Ephraim Kamuntu, Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to intervene and ensure action is taken against the officers involved.
Meanwhile, Mayor Asiimwe has claimed he is facing threats over the video he recorded showing the unattended police station.
“I am Gen Van Allan, the person who recorded a video of a police station where officers were not found on duty,” he said in a TikTok video, appealing to President Yoweri Museveni to address absenteeism among public servants.
He alleged that police officers in Mitooma were tracking his movements because of the video.
“The police in Mitooma wants to kill me because of the video I recorded exposing their absenteeism.They are tracking my movements,” he added.
The journalists have since threatened to petition the Uganda Human Rights Commission over what they describe as torture and violation of their rights.
Police had not issued a formal statement regarding the allegations by press time.
