Kabale MPs slam police over arrest of journalists over anti-Umeme protest
Kabale district MPs have slammed Police for arresting journalists who were covering the protest against electricity distributor, Umeme Limited.
On Thursday night, police arrested several journalists and social media influencers hours including Job Namanya, a journalist with Vision Group, Obed Kakiiriho affiliated with the source UG website and Daily monitor, Charlotte Murungi Kemigisha and Precious Tumuranze both social media influencers .
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However, Kabale municipality MP Nicholas Kamara and Ndorwa East legislator Wilfred Niwagaba condemned the act.
"We have been talking about the issues of power for close to six years even before I even joined parliament and even when I joined parliament I have been talking about the power issue. So the protest was right and it was lawful because the constitution of Uganda allows it.It is so unfortunate that people were arrested," Kamara said.
“We shall not call off the protest until Umeme gives us stable power."
While in the stakeholder’s meeting on the implementation of presidential directive on wetlands that was hosted in Kabale the Ndorwa East Legislator Wilfred Niwagaba put to the attention of the minister for ICT Chris Baryomusi who was the chair of the meeting on how some journalists and some other people were arrested adding that police rushed to take action.
In response the minister for ICT Chris Baryomusi directed the RDC for the immediate action.
“RDC, I want to direct you to have the arrested persons released because for the time I have been here, I have witnessed many times power go off," Baryomunsi directed.
Over the years, there has been growing frustration with Umeme over power outages in Kabale.
