A photo collection of Asiteza, Babalanda, Kakande and Kawala.
Five days on, Daily Express sub-editor Remmy Asiteza remains in detention at Central Police Station in Kampala.
Asiteza was arrested last Thursday, reportedly on the orders of Presidency Minister Milly Babalanda and Presidency PS Al Hajji Kakande. However, the police are yet to reveal Asiteza’s crime.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala declined to confirm knowledge of the matter. Kawala sits at the same facility where Asiteza is being held.
Earlier, it emerged that Asiteza reported on a graft matter, and that the matter did not sit well with Babalanda and Kakande, who were reportedly pressing Asiteza for his sources.
In Uganda, Section 38 of the Press and Journalist Act protects journalists from being forced to reveal their sources unless the source gives consent or a competent court of law orders the disclosure.
Yet Asiteza remains detained beyond the mandatory 48 hours. Under the Constitution of Uganda, detaining a suspect for more than 48 hours without being charged in a court of law or released is unconstitutional and unlawful. Police must bring the person before a court within 48 hours of arrest or grant police bond.
We wait to see how long the police will continue to hold Asiteza without bringing him to court.
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