The ruling NRM party has come out to condemn the shooting of journalists by security personnel enforcing the law during presidential campaigns. On Sunday morning, reports emerged that Ashiraf Kasirye, a journalist working for National Unity Plafforn presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu had been shot and was in critical condition.
The party's director for Communications Hon Emmanuel Dombo has posted on his Twitter handle stating that the use of force was not necessary. "Shooting the Fourth Estate or any Ugandan is uncalled for," Mr Dombo stated.
Mr Kyagulanyi on Sunday morning, attended prayers at Kitovu in Masaka City after which he got involved in a scuffle with police who had set up a check point to stop crowds from gathering in the city. According to police, they instructed Kyagulanyi and his team to use an alternative route which the team defied, leading to a scuffle.
A police statement issued Sunday afternoon indicates that Kasirye was injured in the same scuffle. "This morning our task team in Greater Masaka had violent confrontations with the NUP candidate and his supporters at a check point in Kyabakuza after they defied the route plan agreed upon to Kyotera District. Tear gas was used to quell the violence and journalists were regrettably caught up during the process of dispersing the violent group.
Notably among them was a Ghetto TV crew member identified as Ashraf Kasirye, who sustained blunt force injuries above the left eye allegedly from a canister. The victim was rushed to Masaka Referral Hospital for medical attention. He remains stable but in serious condition and on transfer to Kampala for better management," the statement issued by police spokesperson Fred Enanga reads.