The Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) has announced that it has suspended all planned activities meant to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day (wpfd) following the brutal death of their former association president, journalist Robert Kagolo who was shot dead by a Local Defense Unit.
Kagolo was shot on Thursday at around 8PM in Kasengejje Wakiso district at his late brother’s home a one late Samuel Musiitwa.
Reports by police pins that he was shot by Mamuli Rashid, one of the LDUs who was guarding the home.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Luke Owoyegyire shot after a scuffle with the LDUs and police is investigating circumstances that castigated the scuffles.
UJA has since suspended all its wpfd activities to prepare a decent burial for former president.
“Its upon this unfortunate incident that the UJA executive is suspending its world press freedom day planned activities until the burial of the emeritus president Kagolo,” Rukundo UJA president said.
The association further called for a quick comprehensive and transparent investigation into the matter.
Kagolo will be buried on Saturday May 1st at his ancestral home in Namabeya Gomba, Wamala Taba zone in Gomba district.
World Press Freedom Day- is celebrated on every 3rd of May.
In 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 May as World Press Freedom Day following a recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of the violations of press freedom. It is a reminder that publications and social media are censored, fined, suspended, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked and even killed worldwide.
This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme “Information as a Public Good” serves as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good, and exploring what can be done in the production, distribution and reception of content to strengthen journalism, and to advance transparency and empowerment while leaving no one behind. The theme is of urgent relevance to all countries across the world. It recognizes the changing communications system that is impacting on our health, our human rights, democracies and sustainable development.
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