Uganda

In a victory in the fight against impunity, businessman and ruling party politician Eddie Ssansa Luwaga was convicted of assaulting Daily Monitor journalist Shamim Jjingo Nakawooya.

Police in Uganda detained 25 women who had peacefully gathered in the capital Kampala to pray and present a petition to the speaker of parliament on Tuesday.

Madiinah Ssebyala, a journalist with Bukedde Paper, was assaulted by Kasagga Swaibu for the second time this year, and threatened to stop covering a land dispute in which he is implicated.

The event was a pageant in Kampala’s Club Venom to crown Mr/Ms/Mx Uganda Pride. Police claimed that they had been told a “gay wedding” was taking place and that the celebration was “unlawful” because police had not been informed of the event.

On 12 July 2016, police were captured by the media using sticks to brutally beat up civilians who were cheering for former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye. The Inspector General of Police told journalists that “the images that were shown on television and social media were selective.”

On 14 June 2016, Thomas Ssettuba, Programmes Manager of Radio Ssese was attacked and beaten by locals over a land dispute, and later died of head injuries. The incident happened at Banda village Kagulube parish where Ssettuba had gone to collect palm nuts from a firm.

The severity of one of the recent attacks, in which intruders beat a security guard to death, demonstrates the urgency of addressing these attacks, for which no-one has been held responsible.

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) is calling on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to protect free speech. AFEX’s petition highlights 26 incidents of freedom of expression violations that have been perpetrated with impunity in Uganda in 2016 alone.

A sinister pattern continues to cast a shadow over Uganda’s civil society.

The Uganda Communications Commission has ordered social media platforms to shut down ahead of the swearing in of President Yoweri Museveni. Social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp were also shut down during the presidential elections in February 2016.

In a surprise twist of events, just two days after officiating on World Press Freedom Day celebrations, the Minister for Information and National Guidance has banned media coverage of political activities of the opposition ‘defiance campaign’.

The government of Uganda has utterly failed to hold security forces accountable for nine killings during protests in April 2011. Families of those killed have tried – unsuccessfully – to push for justice and seek compensation.

A trend of office break-ins has been going on for a while with human rights organisations targeted in the country. In this instance a night guard was found unconscious after assailants tried to enter the HRNJ-Uganda offices.

Abraham Byandala, a member of parliament for Katikamu North Constituency and currently a minister without portfolio in the Ugandan government, punched journalist Judith Naluggwaa as she covered a story at the anti-corruption court in Kampala.

On 29 February 2016, Ugandan police arrested a total of eight journalists. Six were arrested in Kasangati over allegations of inciting violence. Two others were arrested outside the State House at Nakasero over alleged criminal trespass.

During the election period, HRNJ-Uganda documented incidents targeting journalists, including the destruction of journalistic tools, physical assault, intimidation and the closure of a media house.