Police probe Bobi Wine guards over assault of journalists
Some of the Bobi Wine's bodyguards who allegedly assaulted journalists in Lwengo District on May 18, 2024. PHOTO | GERTRUDE MUTYABA
What you need to know:
- The incident happened on Saturday at Manja Village, Kisekka Sub County in Lwengo District where the trio had gone to cover the burial of the late Pascal Ssekasamba, a renowned UK-based businessman who died of heart-related complications.
Police in Greater Masaka are investigating an incident where private bodyguards of the National Unity Platform (NUP) president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine assaulted three female journalists.
The incident happened on Saturday at Manja Village, Kisekka Sub County in Lwengo District where the trio had gone to cover the burial of the late Pascal Ssekasamba, a renowned UK-based businessman who died of heart-related complications.
The late Ssekasamba was the younger brother of former Democratic Party Secretary General Mathias Nsubuga who died in 2016.
The victims were caught up in a scuffle as Bobi Wine's guards attempted to block journalists from moving in front to cover proceedings at the funeral.
According to Ms Zainab Namusaazi, the Next Media Group journalist whose camera was smashed, the scuffle started when Mr Kyagulanyi arrived at the burial.
“Bobi Wine's bodyguard identified as Achilleo Kivumbi grabbed my camera and damaged its lens,” she said in an interview on Sunday.
According to Ms Margaret Kayondo, a journalist attached to Radio Simba, another unidentified bodyguard who was wearing a black mask beat her up and when Ms Namusaazi intervened, she was also beaten.
A camera which was allegedly damaged by Bobi Wine's guards
"After seeing them assaulting Ms Kayondo, I shouted at them, but the angry men including Kivumbi turned against me and started beating me up. They grabbed my camera and smashed it," Ms Namusaazi said.
In the ensuing fracas, Ms Namusaazi narrates that Bobi Wine’s chief bodyguard Eddy Mutwe intervened and asked Kivumbi to stop the act.
However, Kivumbi didn't heed the request, he instead grabbed NMG-U's Gertrude Mutyaba's camera and attempted to smash it. Ms Mutyaba says she fought hard to save her camera from Kivumbi.
Ms Namusaazi whose camera was damaged, has since opened up a case against Kivumbi at Kiwangala Police Post.
Southern regional police spokesperson, Mr Twaha Kasirye said that investigations into the matter have kicked off.
He however advised politicians to always guide their personal guards on how to work with journalists.
“This is not the first time such incidents are happening. Journalists have never been anyone’s enemy, they simply do their work of informing us,” he said.
At the same burial, Mr Kyagulanyi called upon all his supporters to desist from verbally attacking people they don’t agree with politically, saying whatever wrong is done by them is blamed on him.
"I accept that I am loved, but it doesn't mean that I know every foot soldier, but I ask you my people to behave wherever you are. Do not abuse people, do not attack them in any way," he said.
