I have had the longest week in my life, says NBS TV’s Sserwanjja

NBS Television investigative journalist has for the first spoken about the arrest of his wife and fellow investigative journalists.

Police on Wednesday night arrested three BBC journalists who were investigating the theft and sale of government drugs by officials before raiding Sserwanjja’s home in Mukono and arrested his wife.

Sserwanjja has since then been missing despite efforts by police to arrest him.

Speaking to NBS TV on Friday morning, Sserwanjja admitted that he was worried about his life after police detained his wife and his colleagues.

“I have been living worried and scared. This has been the longest week in my entire life,”Sserwanjja said.

The investigative journalist said he was not yet home on the fateful night when his colleagues were arrested and later police raided his home in Mukono over the alleged possession of restricted government drugs.

“When they were arrested, I didn’t know where they had been taken. I then told my wife not to open the door for the house until lawyers came,” he narrated.

The investigative journalist however said he was worried for his wife, Vivian Sserwanjja who is the Ministry of health spokesperson.

He said it was wrong for her to be dragged into the fracas because she was not part of the investigation.

“I feel bad for my wife to be dragged into this. It is very dangerous for her. I am worried about her job and safety.”

Meanwhile, Sserwanja has been escorted by NBS news manger Joyce Bagala to report to the Central Police Station in Kampala to follow up on the police summons to him.

He insisted that the investigation into the theft of government drugs was done in public interest adding that the investigation will continue.

“The story will be coming out very soon on the BBC and NBS Television.”

This comes only minutes after the arrested journalists and health ministry official were released on police bond.

Police on Thursday said the group had been arrested for buying classified government drugs.

“They were arrested from Makindye where they were meeting a person who was supposed to sell them the said drug. Upon arrest and interrogation, they revealed that some of the drugs they had bought were hidden at Solomon Sserwanja’s home in Mukono district,” Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango told journalists on Thursday.

However police failed to explain the whereabouts of the person who was selling drugs to the investigative journalists saying he was their(police) contact.

Asked whether they knew the professions of the suspects before the arrest, Onyango said they only got to know after they recorded statements.

The developments since the arrest of journalists doing an investigative story on the theft and sale of government drugs cast doubts on the will by some officials including security operatives to join the fight against corruption despite calls by President Museveni to help him fight the vice.