Minister Orders Arrest of Journalist Over RDC Recruitment Story

[Da Dona]

Remmy Asiteza, a journalist with the online publication Daily Express, has reportedly been arrested and detained at Central Police Station (CPS) in Kampala following a dispute over a story he published about alleged corruption in the recruitment of Assistant Resident District Commissioners (A-RDCs) and Assistant Resident City Commissioners.

Sources say,Asiteza was arrested last Thursday and remains in custody at CPS. Several police officers contacted about his detention declined to comment, with some describing the matter as “sensitive.”

The journalist reportedly came under scrutiny after publishing a story claiming that President Yoweri Museveni had ordered an investigation into alleged financial irregularities surrounding the recruitment of A-RDCs and Assistant Resident City Commissioners.

The report raised questions about the management of billions of shillings allocated for the salaries and operations of the officials, amid allegations that some of the funds may have been mismanaged.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Asiteza was subsequently asked to remove the story from the Daily Express platform and reveal the source of his information.

He reportedly refused to take down the story or disclose his source, after which he was arrested and detained.

Reporters contacted the Office of the Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, seeking clarification on the reported arrest and whether it was connected to any directive from the minister.

Juma Masuumi, the office's communications officer, initially said he would provide a response but later did not respond to follow-up messages.
Masuumi subsequently denied that the arrest was linked to orders from the minister, saying the investigating officer would be better placed to explain the circumstances.
“Professionalism has to be observed, journalists are not immune to the law,” he said.

Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke was also contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The circumstances surrounding Asiteza’s arrest remain unclear, including whether a formal complaint was filed against him and the specific offence for which he is being investigated.


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