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Western region loses 6 journalists in 12 months
A combination of photos shpowing journalists that have died in Western Uganda over the last 12 months. From Left to right (top row) Mandela Allan Mateeka, Enid Basiime, Dennis Mumbere and bottom row (left to right) Francis Mutanzindwa, Sheila Nakabuye, Charles Muhindo. PHOTOS/FILE
What you need to know:
- Journalists play public watchdog roles as they provide information, education, and communication to different media platforms.
Western Uganda has lost yet another journalist, bringing the total number of those who have died in a space of one year to six.
Enid Basiime, an employee of the Mbarara-based Ankole Diocese Revival Radio, passed on at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital on Friday.
Basiime’s death comes only days after a budding NBS television south-western Uganda bureau chief, Sheila Nakabuye, died only hours after giving birth to a baby girl.
After Nakabuye’s death, another reporter, Charles Muhindo Brinto, who had been working with Light FM in Kasese, also perished in a motorcycle accident on his way from Bunyangabu District, barely two weeks after a radio presenter, Dennis Mumbere from the same area also died in another accident.
Other journalists who have died since May 2020 include Allan Mandela Mateeka from Hunter Radio.
He was allegedly stabbed in a crime of passion in February 2021.
Another journalist, Francis Mutazindwa, a former Revival Radio Ankole Diocese manager, succumbed to pneumonia in May 2020.
Journalists play public watchdog roles as they provide information, education, and communication to different media platforms.
Mr Micheal Tumwakiire, the western Uganda coordinator in Human Rights Network for Journalists, said: “We are shocked because this is not normal. It is unfortunate that the eyes of the public are dying one by one in a short time.”
He added: “It is so because when a journalist dies, many people lose considering that we are the eyes of the public and sources of information.”
Ms Enid Ninsiima, a Daily Monitor journalist in Kasese District, said the media fraternity in the region has suffered a big blow following the death of colleagues.
She said in Kasese, they have lost two colleagues in road accidents.
Ms Ninsiima, who is also the chairperson of the Kasese Media Practitioners Association, said the fraternity have started a road safety campaign.
Mr Alex Ashaba, a journalist, said the campaign will involve road users, the media, security and civil society organisations to preach safe road usage to the public to reduce accidents.
