Masindi, Uganda | URN | Charles Kyalisiima, a reporter attached to the Masindi based Radio Kitara is in trouble for reporting live the district council elections.
Kyalisiima was picked up while broadcasting an incident where the agents of Cosmas Byaruhanga, one of the candidates for the Masindi LC V chairperson seat were accusing the agents of his rival, Wilson Isingoma Mugimba of conniving with recruits from Kabalye police training school to rig in his favour.
The agents accused the police recruits of voting at Kabalye polling station yet they are not registered voters in the area. This sparked off violence between the two camps.
Annet Najjemba, the programs director at Radio Kitara told this publication that as Kyalisiima was broadcasting the event unfolding live on Radio Kitara, security officers arrested him and whisked him off to an unknown destination.
The officers confiscated Kyalisiima’s equipment, a mobile phone and recorder that he was using to report the event. According to Najjemba, the reporter was later set free after thorough questioning by the security officers.
Vincent Irama, the Masindi District Police Commander [DPC] told our reporter that he was not aware of the arrest of the journalist, adding that he was yet to consult and find out the offence he had committed at Kabalye polling station.
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The Masindi LC 5 race has attracted four candidates including Cosmas Byaruhange, the NRM candidate, Tom Kweesi from the Forum for Democratic Change [FDC], Wilson Isingoma Mugimba and Lenox Mugume, both independent candidates.
However, the race has been tight between Byaruhanga who is the incumbent and Mugimba.
