The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has condemned the beating of a BBS Television/CBS journalist by security officers during a campaign rally in the Sebei sub-region, calling the incident uncalled for and demanding a full investigation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s Head of Media and Communications, Faizo Muzeyi, UPC said the journalist was professionally covering a campaign event when he was rounded up, manhandled by several security officers and had his equipment damaged.
“This type of violence is uncalled for; it must be fully investigated so as to avoid such occurrences in future,” the statement said.
The incident comes amid heightened political activity ahead of Uganda’s general elections scheduled for January 15, when voters will elect the president and members of parliament, followed by local government elections in subsequent days, according to the Independent Electoral Commission roadmap.
UPC warned that clashes involving security forces, candidates and journalists are increasingly marring the campaign period, creating mistrust and avoidable violence.
The party said such “ugly scenes” undermine democratic principles and threaten the integrity of the electoral process.
The party also called on security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure campaigns are orderly and peaceful, noting that democratic elections should be based on dialogue and open interaction.
“For our electoral processes to be respected and of great integrity, the ground must be levelled,” the statement said.
While condemning the attack on the journalist, UPC urged its members, supporters and the general public to continue participating actively in the ongoing campaigns to make informed choices at the ballot box.
The party said its president, Jimmy Akena, is on the ground campaigning for party candidates and commended party leaders nationwide for supporting candidates.
UPC further appealed for calm and transparency as the country heads into polling day, calling on all actors to ensure that votes are cas
