NEW TWIST: Gen Muhoozi to Promote Soldier Who Attempted to Assault Canary Mugume in Kawempe

On the 13th of March, during the Kawempe North by-election, NBS senior journalist Canary Mugume was targeted by security operatives, drawing attention to the safety of journalists in Uganda. In a post on social media, Mugume recounted his near-assault by masked UPDF soldiers.

Mugume described the incident, saying, “Just survived an assault in Kawempe. Masked UPDF soldiers came at me moments after one tried to beat me with a long wire before he disembarked from his motorbike. My crime? Doing my work as a journalist.”

He also noted that the soldiers were followed by a 'drone' vehicle that had been involved in the arrest of other journalists earlier that day.

To document the incident, Mugume posted a photo of the soldier who attempted to attack him, adding, “Took this on my phone. The guy threw the cable wire at me, moments before he disembarked from his motorbike. He missed landing it on my head, survived narrowly.”

The event raised concerns over the growing use of force against media professionals in Uganda, with many questioning the treatment of journalists by security forces.

In a controversial response, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has praised the soldier involved. On his X account, Kainerugaba shared the image of the soldier and commented, “Best picture I have seen all week! I will look for this soldier and promote him.”

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https://x.com/mkainerugaba/status/1900968051631104164?s=19