Shame as police beats journalists covering Kirumira case

There was chaos at the Police headquarters in Naguru as police officers turned to journalists and battered them for covering Buyende DPC Muhammad Kirumira's case.

Kirumira is accused of a number of offences related to torture,extortion and unnecessary exercise of powers.

At around 10am, the police vehicle carrying Kirumira arrived,prompting journalists to set their gadgets but they were not allowed to film the activity.

Four police officers would then turn to them and battered them.

"They ordered for the confiscation of journalists' equipment before starting to beat us,"Ponsiano Nsimbi, a Bukedde newspaper journalist narrates.

"They told us we could not access the police court unless we had official invitation letters from the chairman Denis Odongpiny. "

Bukedde Television reporter Suleiman Mutebi said the police officers targeted his camera prompting him to run for his dear life.

In the scuffle Nsimbi's right arm and foot were bruised.

Currently, no journalist is allowed inside the police court premises.

This is not the first scenario in which Police has acted with impunity and brutalised journalists.

In 2014,police beat then WBS journalist Andrew Lwanga before breaking his back while covering a procession of the unemployed youth at Bakuli.

Last year, journalists who were marching to commemorate the World press freedom day were badly beaten before being arrested by police in the city centre.

On most of these and many other occasions that have gone unreported by the media,police has walked away with impunity.

Various reports by human rights activists have for many years ranked police as the number one violator of human rights.