(HRNJ-Uganda/IFEX) – Kampala, 18th/May/2012 – the police have quizzed Pearl FM radio journalist Nyombi Mahmoud for over 2 hours over a talk show Programme he hosted Saturday 05th/May discussing the level of Parliamentary democracy in Uganda as compared to other countries. Nyombi moderates the weekly Programme ‘Mwoyo gwa ggwanga –The Patriot’ which airs Saturdays from […]
(HRNJ-Uganda/IFEX) – Kampala, 18th/May/2012 – the police have quizzed Pearl FM radio
journalist Nyombi Mahmoud for over 2 hours over a talk show Programme he
hosted Saturday 05th/May discussing the level of Parliamentary democracy in
Uganda as compared to other countries.
Nyombi moderates the weekly Programme ‘Mwoyo gwa ggwanga –The Patriot’
which airs Saturdays from 9:00AM to 11:00AM local time. The Programme in
question was to feature the president’s Deputy Principal Private Secretary
Kintu Nyago who never turned up for the show. It therefore was made a
call-in Programme about the day’s topic of parliamentary democracy in
Uganda. It centered on the revelation by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca
Kadaga that she was under pressure from some ruling NRM party members to
gag opposition members of Parliament.
He was summoned and interrogated by the Assistant Inspector of Police
Byamugisha Jackson the In-Charge of media crimes at the police station.
Pearl FM is a private radio located in Kampala just a few meters away from
the police station.
Byamugisha confessed that he was acting on orders from above. “This matter
was brought to the attention of the CID Director by the Inspector General
of Police himself, so it was referred to me by the CID headquarters. I
listened to the Programme recording and found no substance for our
investigations, but since am acting on orders from above, I sent the
recording to another department to transcribe and translate the material
there.”
Nyombi told HRNJ-Uganda that he was surprised by the summons; an action he
believes was meant to sway him away from allowing alternative views and
free debate from airing on the radio.
“This is an attempt to sway me away from allowing free debate on current
topical issues. I believe I handle the Programmes very professionally,
maybe that’s not what they want, but I will remain objective and give every
one equal opportunity. The police officer seemed to be working under
immense pressure from somewhere. ” he told HRNJ-Uganda at the police.
Byamugisha noted that Nyombi would be used as a witness in case of criminal
charges against the callers. He was with lawyer Hussein Muwonge, Pearl’s
Administrative Assistant Yassin Kironde, Chief News Editor Kisembo Abubaker
and Programmes Director Uthman Menya among others. Others present were the
HRNJ-Uganda Programme Coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala and lawyer Catherine
Anite.
Nyombi recorded a statement and was released without a charge.
“This is a scheme by the government to use the police to silence all free
media and debate on matters of national importance. All the recent human
rights status reports have clearly shown that the police have become the
government’s coercive arm against all critical media. Since Byamugisha
stated that he did not find any matter to warrant police investigations,
they should not influence Nyombi to be a witness in case of any criminal
charges. We commend Pearl FM and other journalists for standing in
solidarity against such police schemes,” said the HRNJ-Uganda Programme
Coordinator, Wokulira Ssebaggala.
