Sports
Journalists fall victims of police brutality in Makerere strike
Journalists stop police from arresting them
Earlier this morning, journalists had been invited by Makerere University Guild to clarify on the ongoing deadlock between students and the university management.
The press conference was, however, disrupted by police officers, who forced journalists out with some ordered to delete photographs and video footage.
The journalists, numbering about 15, were dispersed with teargased and some were beaten.
Police also attempted to arrest some of the journalists but they were resisted.
Attempts to arrest Davidson Ndyabahika, a reporter with Uganda Radio Network, were unanimously resisted by a group of journalists.
In the process some journalists lost property including camera equipment.
“I have lost my zoom H5 handy audio recorder as police attempted to brutally arrest me. Makerere OC ASP Michael Mutumba manhandled me and my gadgets, a Canon EOS 5D was damaged,” said Ndyabahika.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the press conference was dispersed on the orders of Gordon Murangira, a personal assistant to Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe.
The same Murangira is also alleged to have been taking pictures and recording videos of journalists who had turned up for the press briefing.
Ndyabahika also alleged that Mutumba had earlier aimed a gun at him as he attempted to cover proceedings of a narration by disabled students, who were of the night ordeal in which military officers raided halls of residence.
“He aimed at me because I was covering students with disabilities who were narrating last night’s raid at halls of residence,” Ndyabahika.
It is alleged that police and military officers raided university halls of residence on Thursday night, beating up students and arresting others.
According to the Guild Vice President Judith Nalukwago, at least 11 students have been hospitalised while property worth millions have been destroyed.
Meanwhile, journalists have been blocked from accessing university premises.
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