Case against Kyaligonza for assault on UBC journalist adjourned to October
By TWAHA MUKIIBI
The civil division of the High Court in Kampala has adjourned hearing of the case in which Uganda’s Ambassador to Burundi, Maj.Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza was sued for assaulting a journalist.
Peter Otai, a journalist with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) dragged Kyaligonza to court for assaulting him on February 24 as he recorded a fracas involving Kyaligonza’s bodyguards and a female traffic police officer.
On Monday, when the matter came up for hearing, Kyaligonza’s lawyers led by Caleb Alaka told the trial judge that they had not been able to file their defence and requested for more time.
The request was granted by Justice Andrew Bashaija before adjourning the matter to October 21, 2019.
According to evidence by Otai, on the fateful day in Seeta, as he witnessed Kyaligonza’s guards assault the police officer, he intervened but he was unfortunately beaten by the ambassador.
“As a journalist and concerned citizen, the second applicant (Otai) run to the scene and demanded to know from the first respondent (Kyaligonza) why his guards including Corporal Peter Bushindiki and Priv. Robert Okurut were assaulting a female police officer on duty. At the same time, he begun taking photos of the situation for purposes of filing a press story later about the incident,” the court documents read.
“No sooner had he started taking photos, than Kyaligonza and his bodyguards pounced and beat him.”
According to the pressman with the national broadcaster, the beating infringed on his constitutional rights both as a journalist and as a citizen and also undermines the independence of the media.
He also contends that the beating threatens the hallowed tenets of accountability and good governance in Uganda.
“The respondents are commanded by Article 202 and 212 of the 1995 constitution to observe, respect, uphold, protect and promote fundamental human rights and freedoms but their impugned actions fell short of the said obligations,” the journalist says in a suit in which the Attorney General is one of the respondents.
