Staff Reporter
Dr. Nicholas Thadeus Kamara, Member of Parliament for Kabale Municipality, has condemned the police for arresting leaders of the “March to UMEME Offices Kabale.”
The arrests occurred on the eve of the scheduled march on August 9, 2024, intended to express dissatisfaction with ongoing power outages. Among those detained were Job Namanya, a journalist with Vision Group; Obed Kankiriho from the Daily Monitor and The Source News website; and social media influencers Kemigisha Charlotte and Precious. They were all released on police bond the following evening after presenting two sureties each.
Dr. Kamara emphasized that it is a constitutional right for Ugandans to voice their concerns for improved services. He criticized UMEME’s service delivery issues and argued that the arrests were unjustified.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi regional police spokesperson, stated that the journalists had overstepped their professional boundaries by engaging in activism rather than reporting. He explained that the arrests were made based on intelligence to prevent the demonstration.
Following the arrest of the key organizers, the planned demonstration was effectively prevented.
