How William Ntege's face looks like after the pepper-spra
Police rough up journalist
http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23646:police-rough-up-journalist&catid=34:news&Itemid=114
Sunday, 10 February 2013 22:05
William Ntege aka kyuma kya Yesu, a journalist
who has been assaulted severally by police during city riots has protested to
Police Chief Lt Gen Kale Kayihura after the latest incident in which he was
attacked with pepper-spray.
Ntege, a freelance journalist attached to WBS
television, told The Observer that he was attacked on October 4, 2012, while
recording the arrest of former FDC party leader Dr Kizza Besigye at Nakivubo.
“The police did not want media coverage after
Besigye was rounded up; so, I was arrested and taken to CPS [Central Police
Station] and my video camera worth Shs 8m was destroyed,” he said. Ntege claims
he also lost Shs 520,000 in cash.
This is the second time the police have damaged
Ntege’s camera, after an older one worth Shs 6.3m was also destroyed by
security personnel during another city protest he covered, early last year.
After the latest incident, Kayihura promised to compensate Ntege with another
camera, but he was stunned when he was beaten again up and later held at CPS
for a night on his third appearance there to claim the camera.
“My crime was finding my way to Kayihura’s office
to find out whether he was willing to compensate my camera as he promised in
his SMS message to me,” he said. “Grace Turyagumanawe ordered his juniors to
pepper-spray me which they did and currently my ears and eyes are affected and
the skin is getting off my head.”
Ntege, who now complains of abnormal bleeding and
facial burns, says an optical specialist at Mulago has refused to prescribe
medication to stabilize his eyes, without a police reference letter. It is
understood that the doctor is worried that he could end up in jail like
toxicologist Dr Sylvester Onzivua, now facing charges of abuse of office, in
relation to his handling of the samples of former Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah
Nebanda.