Pastor Bugingo Protests: UJA Condemns Attack on Journalists by Colleagues

By Fred Kiva

The Uganda journalists Association (UJA) has condemned a fracas in which journalists covering Monday’s demonstration at Pastor Aloysius Bugingo’s Salt Media in Lungujja were assaulted by colleagues.

A group of activists marched to Salt Media in protest of the Pastor’s derogatory claims against his estranged wife Teddy. Pastor Bugingo, who recently sought divorce with Teddy, last week claimed that he had for over a decade tolerated the wife despite her fistula condition.

The claims broadcast live on Television, enraged women activists and other feminists prompting them to march to the Lungujja based Salt Media where the pastor was at the time. The protesters carried sanitary pads which they said were meant to compensate Bugingo who claimed he got overwhelmed after buying pads for her bleeding wife for over ten years.

Meanwhile, during the protest, a fracas ensued in which journalists attached to the Pastor’s Salt Media reportedly beat up colleagues from other media houses who had gone to cover the event. The journalists claimed they did not see the reason why demonstration over statements made at Pastor Bugingo’s House of Prayer Ministries Church would be carried to salt media. “Why mix salt media with church issues,” said one of the staff at salt media who did not want to be named.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, UJA President Bashir Kazibwe condemned the act by journalists against their colleagues. He said UJA had launched investigations into the matter, with the view of taking action against those found culpable. “UJA has established a select committee to investigate the incident and come up with a conclusive report within two weeks,” he said. “The committee will engage both sides to establish the facts, with the objective of making informed and appropriate actions,” he added saying UJA condemns such attacks “meted onto journalists while in line of duty.”