Opposition wants death of Spanish journalist who covered NUP campaigns investigated

Opposition Members of Parliament have called for an investigation into the death of Spanish journalist Sadurni Carrasco Sumaya, alias Sumy Sadurni.

Sadurni died on spot with her driver Thomas Mugisha following a head-on collision with a FUSO in Kiryadongo along the Kampala- Gulu highway on Monday.

Shadow Information Minister Joyce Bagala said on Thursday that the death is “mysterious” and needs to be investigated.

“We want a probe into the mysterious death of Ugandan-based Spanish journalist Sadurni Carrasco Sumaya who was killed in a motor accident at Chopelwo valley along Kampala–Gulu highway in Kiryandongo District,” Bagala said.

According to Bagala, the Spanish journalist covered the 2021 general polls in Uganda amidst intimidation from the state, and her death in such a manner raises eyebrows.

National Unity Platform president and former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine also said on Wednesday that he is still “trying to come to terms” with Sadurni’s tragic death, having been active in the run up to and during the recent presidential polls.

Kyagulanyi said that Sadurni covered and reported on much of the violent experiences that happened in the NUP camp, prompting government to brand her an agent of CIA.

“Her work prompted certain regime spokespersons to refer to her as a CIA agent. At one point, she was forced to flee from one of our press conferences in Kamwokya citing threats she was facing due to her work in Uganda,” Kyagulanyi said.

Traffic Police PRO, ASP Faridah Nampiima said on Tuesday that police in Kiryadongo was on a hunt for the driver of FUSO registered number UAL192U who hit the car in which Sadurni was traveling in.

Besides being a member of the International Press Association of Uganda, Sadurni was a renown freelance journalist working a number of international media houses on commission basis. Notable among them was AFP Photo.

In November 2020, during the run up to the presidential polls, two foreign journalists were deported from Uganda and government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo said Uganda does not need any foreign scrutiny into its internal matters.

In January 2021, government faulted foreign journalists and international media for tainting Uganda’s image abroad something that it said that affected the country’s tourism and scared foreign investors.

Without mentioning specific media houses for the diplomatic reasons, State Minister for ICT Peter Ogwang said the biased reporting of some the international media on the 2021 elections had affected the country’s investment sector deeply.