PHOTO: From left, Journalist Charles Bukenya Muvawala who was abducted last week, tortured and dumped on a swamp, journalist Mood Katende who was abducted since 2023 and still missing and right is New Vision’s Ashraf Kasirye who was shot while covering Bobi Wine’s presidential campaigns in 2021
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
YESTERDAY March 12, 2025, Journalist Steven Kibwika working with NTV was badly beaten and his camera taken away by security officers while covering Leader of Opposition Rt. Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi together with NUP SG Lewis Rubongoya and NUP candidate for Kawempe North Counsel Elias Nalukoola Luyimbaazi who had gone to establish allegations concerning vote rigging by ruling NRM agents at a house in Nameere-Kawempe North ahead of by-election today.
By press time, journalist Kibwika was still admitted at Medical Doctor’s Centre Mperere. LOP Ssenyonyi checked on him.
Security attack on journalist Kibwika came a few days when another journalist Charles Bukenya aka Muvawala was abducted and later dumped in a swamp located in Buliisa District.
On Wednesday, 5th March 2025, around 1am, Hon. Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, leader of a leading opposition political party NUP in Uganda, posted on his facebook page about the abduction of another journalist Charles Bukenya aka Muvawala.
In a statement, NUP leaders claimed Bukenya was allegedly kidnapped from Happy Boyz Bar in Nakulabye and that his whereabouts had remained unknown.There and then, opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) Party leaders and supporters flooded social media and other mainstream media, to demand for the unconditional release of their key mobilizer in Diaspora, also the Vice President of Uganda North America Association, UNAA.
Hon. Bobi Wine posted, “We are deeply concerned by the disappearance of Mr. Charles Bukenya ‘Muvawala,’ a citizen of the United States hailing from Uganda. His family says he was abducted by gunmen from Nakulabye, Kampala, around 01:00 AM today (Wednesday) morning while on a visit to Uganda.”
Muvawala is the vice president of the Ugandan North American Association (UNAA), an organization that brings together Ugandans in the US. He is also a former member of Bakayimbira dramactors and a former presenter of the ‘Binsangawano’ show on Radio Simba.
Kyagulanyi said that at the time of his abduction, he sent a message indicating that operatives had come for him. “Given the recent spate of abductions targeting opposition-leaning Ugandans and journalists, we know that this too is the handwork of the cowardly Museveni regime.” Posted, Kyagulanyi. He wrote, “We demand for his immediate release from illegal detention or his swift arraignment in courts of law if he committed any offence. We also call upon all Ugandans in the diaspora to exercise extra vigililance while in Uganda because the regime, in its last days, has gone completely insane. No matter what comes our way, we shall overcome!”. Two days later, Muvawala was found.
Kyagulanyi posted on Facebook that, “I have just spoken on the phone with our comrade, Charles Muvawala, the Vice President of UNAA, who was abducted after 1:00am on Wednesday and has been missing since. He says that his captors dumped him in a swamp in Buliisa District earlier today after many hours of torture. He is gravely shaken by the ordeal. We must all unite in fighting against the lawlessness that has come to define our country!”
Mayanja Godfrey commented that, “Am in a great belief that Ugandans must stand up and fight for themselves, every person abducted is the same as you. We have a kind of people who think they have God chosen powers to treat others bad and wrong. It can never work that way, the country belongs to all of us, and we all have equal rights and responsibilities. Ugandans should know that abduction is evil and sinful.
Sarah Kateregga wrote: “Oh no, that’s horrific! I’m so glad Charles Muvawala is safe, but the fact that he was abducted, tortured, and dumped in a swamp is absolutely appalling. We can’t let this kind of lawlessness continue to plague our country. We must stand together and demand justice and accountability from our leaders. Justice For Charles, Stop Lawlessness, United We Stand.”
Precious Patience said, “The atrocities happening in Uganda is a criminal offence towards the citizens.
“WHEN BOBI VISITED OTHER TORTURE VICTIMS
In a statement released by NUP Supremo on Saturday, Bobi Wine said, “We spent part of the day visiting some of our comrades who were terribly tortured and injured by JAT and other criminals yesterday. Some of these are in hospitals, while others are recovering from their homes. You can not imagine how these thugs aimed live bullets and rubber bullets at unarmed civilians and cut some of them using knives and bayonets.”
Kyagulanyi gave them a message of encouragement and assured them that their sacrifices would never be in vain. “Surely, there will be accountability for these crimes against humanity, one way or another. He Wished all of them a quick and full recovery!” Wrote Mr. Bobi Wine.
ON TORTURING OTHER JOURNALISTS
As said earlier mentioned, Muvawala is not the first journalist to be abducted and tortured by state operatives over standing against dictatorship, corruption, and judicial killings in the country.In fact, a number of journalists have run out of the country for their dear lives while others went missing. No one knows their whereabouts.
One Ashraf Kasirye, formerly working with New Vision, was hit by a rubber bullet and almost lost his life.He was on presidential candidate Bobi Wine’s campaign trail in 2021.Thanks to Mr. Kyagulanyi who rushed him abroad for surgery.
Another journalist, Culton Scovia Nakamya, was arrested in Kalangala during Bobi Wine’s campaign. She has since ran out of the country.
JOURNALIST MOOD KATENDE MISSING
Journalist Mood Katende, who was working with Voice of Africa radio in Kampala, was one day abducted from radio studios. There was a time when a group of armed men picked Mood Katende from his home and arrested many times under unclear circumstances.
When Mityana Municipality MP Hon. Zaake Francis was arrested and dumped in a torture chamber. He met Mood Katende, who asked the legislator to alert his relatives and colleagues in media. ON his release, in a press conference Zaake held, he mentioned Mood Katende, who was rotting in a torture chamber.
Ever since May 2023, and up to today, journalist Mood Katende’s whereabouts are not known. Katende was so vocal on Sheikhs Kirya’s killing, Muhammad Kiggundu, and other sheikhs who were killed by gun welding men. Mood Katende, a senior investigative journalist in Uganda, through his radio talkshows, tasked the government to explain the killing of sheikhs and also preached against corruption and bad governance in the country.
Haunting journalists has led to many of them throwing in the towel and running out of the country for their dear lives.
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