The minister for Internal Affairs, Gen Kahinda Otafiire, has described security operatives who beat up journalists during the Kawempe North by-elections as “goons.”
Otafiire was appearing before the parliamentary committee on Defence and Internal Affairs to defend his ministry’s policy statement.
Otafiire was pressured by the MPs, Ssemakula Luttamagizu (Nakaseke South) and James Kaberuka (Kinkizi West), to apologise to the journalists for their mistreatment.
He said the matter had already been addressed by the president.
“If Jesus talked about the matter in Kawempe, what will be the essence of me as a bishop to say it again?” Otafiire said, referring to Museveni as Jesus.
The committee chair, Wilson Kajwenjwe asked urged fellow members to wait for the report on the Kawempe North brutality on the floor of Parliament.
Otafiire’s reluctance to apologise led journalists to walk out of the committee.
Sam Ibanda Mugabi, the president of the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association, said the government owes journalists an apology for what happened in the Kawempe North by-elections.
“Up to now, some journalists are still nursing wounds and there is no body to cater for them and their families because of the beatings by JATT,” he said.
It is not the first time journalists have been assaulted by security operatives in the course of their duties.
The minister was right coz, how can you apologise for the goons you don’t know, he said at first that those are goons known by the president .