Three journalists nursing Wounds as Police Battle NUP Supporters
Masaka, Uganda | URN & THE INDEPENDENT | Hours after the Electoral Commission suspended political rallies in over a dozen districts including Masaka, Police has had running battles with National Unity Platform – NUP supporters in Kyabakuza in Masaka District on Sunday morning.
Three journalists have been severely injured. Daniel Lutaya, a journalist attached to NBS-TV and Ali Mivule, a reporter with NTV-Uganda are in hospital, following another nasty incident earlier in the day. NUP reported that Police shot at Ashiraf Kasirye Saifuh, a cameraman attached to Gheto Media, an online broadcasting channel.
Kasirye was rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital unconscious. He has since been evacuated to Kampala Hospital for better management, according to Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, the Deputy President of the NUP for Central Region.
Police issued a statement saying the “journalists were regrettably caught up during the process of dispersing the violent group. Notably among them was a Ghetto TV crew member identified as Ashraf Kasirye, who sustained blunt force injuries above the left eye allegedly from a canister.”
The three were hit in the line of duty as they covered scuffles that started as police dispersed NUP supporters who had gathered to cheer up their presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu who was passing through the town to Lwengo district for his campaign rally.
Reports from Masaka indicate that Mivule was injured in his right thigh after a teargas canister exploded unto him while Lutaya sustained injuries after police deflated the hind tyre the Boda boda he was travelling on.
.@NUP_Ug, we share your pain. We pray Ashraf makes it through.
https://t.co/YPiIRaW5FX
— FDC (@FDCOfficial1) December 27, 2020
JUST IN: NTV reporter Ali Mivule has been injured after a teargas canister hit his leg. Journalist Ashraf Kasirye was also severely injured on the head as security operatives tried to disperse Robert Kyagulanyi, his campaign team and his supporters in Masaka. #NTVNews pic.twitter.com/UNhRlHv8Zi
— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) December 27, 2020
Mivule narrates that he was capturing footage of a scuffle between police and NUP supporters in Kyabakuza trading center along the Masaka-Mbarara highway when Enoch Abaine, the Masaka Regional Police Commander aimed at him and shot him in the leg. Police say it was instead a tear gas canister that injured him.
The journalists, who is receiving treatment at Mukwaya General Hospital in Masaka town accuses Abaine of deliberately targeting journalists who were covering Kyagulanyi.
Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has as a result of the incidents suspended his campaigns schedule in Lwengo and Bukomansimbi.
“The campaigns have been suspended as of today because the President has gone with Ashiraf who is badly injured. We shall communicate to the country probably before the fall of the day as to our next course of action,” said Mpuuga.
POLICE STATEMENT
This morning our task team in Greater Masaka had violent confrontations with the NUP candidate and his supporters at a check point in Kyabakuza after they defied the route plan agreed upon to Kyotera District. Tear gas was used to quell the violence and journalists were regrettably caught up during the process of dispersing the violent group. Notably among them was a Ghetto TV crew member identified as Ashraf Kasirye, who sustained blunt force injuries above the left eye allegedly from a canister. The victim was rushed to Masaka Referral Hospital for medical attention. He remains stable but in serious critical condition and on transfer to Kampala for better management.
Our Media crimes department has taken interest in the matter and opened a casefile to investigate the circumstances.
We do appreciate the critical role journalists while covering the campaigns and pledge better protection cover so as to remain safe while documenting violent confrontations.
We call upon anyone with digital evidence regarding the disturbing incident to share it with our task team of investigators from CID headquarters.
More details to follow.
CP Fred Enanga
Police Spokesperson
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