Journalists Blocked from accessing Belated Women’s Day Celebrations in Rubanda District.
Some journalists were yesterday blocked from accessing Kacerere playground in Kacerere Town Council of Rubanda District, where the belated International Women’s Day celebrations for the district took place.
Police and UPDF personnel manning a roadblock about 20meters away from the venue, told the journalists that their names were not approved by the organizers of the event.
The journalists, who include Voiceof Kigezi’s Jimmy Emmanuel, Uganda Radio Network’s Samuel Amanya, Diocese of Kigezi Radio’s Enoch Ndyamuhaki and Vlogger Nobert Ndyamuhaki, wondered why they were blocked from covering the event yet it was a public function.
When asked why the journalists were blocked, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Eric Ssewandigi, told the journalists to stay away, saying he was going to consult with the organizers of the event first.
However, a source in the event’s organizing committee, who preferred anonymity, claimed that blocking the journalists was a deliberate plan to prevent them from bringing to light, an apparent plot by organizers to block some MPs in the area from participating in the event.
The Rubanda District Woman MP, Prossy Akampurira and the Rubanda West MP, Moses Kamuntu, later said they were neither involved in the planning nor invited for the event.
Efforts to get a comment from the District LCV Chairperson, Steven Kasyaba, who led the organizing committee were futile, as he could not pick our reporter’s calls.
The belated Women’s Day event was presided over by the Minister of State for Finance in Charge of General Duties, Henry Musasizi, as the guest of honor.
