50-year-old Journalist beaten for asking questions at police station
Musa Kamoi, a 50-year-old journalist attached to JInja based NBS/Smart FM in nursing wounds and pain after he was reportedly beaten by police officers at Kibuku Central Police station in Kibuke District for asking questions about a case.
Kamoi, who was following up on a story on cattle theft in the district which allegedly ended in a murder, was beaten after he showed up at the police station and started inquiring into the matters. According to him, he was beaten on orders of Deputy CID Kibuku, whom he identified as Stephen Bangire on Thursday 13th May 2021.
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Narrating his ordeal yesterday, Kamoi said he was attending Iddi Prayers at the mosque located just opposite CPS Kibuku when he learned of the incident.
He said he rushed to the police station to furnish himself with more details on the issue and get more information on the dead suspect.
However, the moment he introduced himself as a journalist at the police station, officers asked for a short time to consult before coming back, yanking him and clobbering him. They later bundled him and threw him out of the police station in bad shape.
Passersby who knew him managed to rush him to a nearby clinic for medical attention.
Speaking from his sickbed, Kamoi wondered why officers who knew him so well having covered stories in the district for quite a long time would land on him and beat him like a stranger.
“I have been covering stories about police for a long time but never experienced any unfortunate incident like what has happened to me on Iddi day,” he said.
He vowed to take legal action against the police officers and particularly the deputy officer in charge CID, Stephen Bangire for violating his rights to execute his duties.
The regional police spokesman Bukedi North, Clement Lebbo when contacted confirmed the incident but said he was yet to get full details from the responsible officials on the ground.
“I got a report about the incident but am yet to be briefed fully by the officials at the police station on why they assaulted the journalist,” he said.
DPC Kibuku Stephen Twinomugisha dismissed the incident saying it was a concoction.
He, however, admitted that based on the information he got on the ground, the said officer was truly tough on Kamoi blaming him for illegally taking pictures without permission but he did not beat him as alleged.
He added that his office is open for Kamoi to go and discuss the matter
The RDC Kibuku Kikomeko Mwanamoiza said she was not aware of the incident and promised to follow it up on Wednesday.
Mr. Ofwono Opondo the Government Spokesperson while reacting to the queries raised by the scribes under their forum Bukedi Media Forum on Tuesday 4th May.2021 at Tororo district council chambers over the excesses exhibited by some security personnel said no security officer is above the law if he/she is found guilty of flogging a journalist.
He attributed the vice to the absence of public relations during their training.
