15 Nov.2024
The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) in crisis after eight of its officials have been found guilty by the High Court for torturing journalists.
Recently The court ruled against the officers who includes LT. COL. NAMANYA NAPOLEONE, CAPT. JESSY ODWENYI, L/CPL ZIRIMENYA KASSIM, CPL. NIMUSIIMA JUSTINE, PTE WASSWA PETER, PTE TSAME IMRAN, PTE KISAKYE VICTORIA and PTE OPIYO ISAAC, for torturing Journalists and and violetion of their press freedom.
The ruling comes out in the case petition filed by the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) in February 2021.
Journalists were covering Bobi Wine Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and his National unity platform (NUP) party supporters visit of the united nations (UN) Human Rights offices in Kololo.
They were going to report cases of disappearing NUP party supporters, which amounted to the total violation of press freedom and constitutional duties rights.
The petition which saw the 8 individual military officers jointly sued with the Attorney General (AG) and the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
Col. Moses Wandera who deputises the UPDF chief of legal services as well as the respondent in this case says that the court decision was defective on account of Uganda Journalists association (UJA).
The UPDF legal chief also defended the accused soldiers, saying they were not engaged in any Systematic assault of journalists as its alleged.
The panic within UPDF is due to the expected damages and compensation costs in this case.
