The High Court in Kampala had ordered government to pay shs150 million in total to two journalists who were battered by the military during an event by National Unity Platform president, Robert Kyagulanyi.
Several journalists who were covering Kyagulanyi as he petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Council in Kololo in 2021.
Consequently, two New Vision journalists, Timothy Murungi and Henry Ssekanjako dragged the Attorney General and eight UPDF soldiers individually for bettering them.
The eight individual soldiers who were individually sued included Lt Col Napoleone Namanya, Capt Jessy Odwnyi, L/CPL Kassim Zirimenya, Cpl Justine Nimusiima, Pte Peter Wasswa, Pte Imran Tsame, Pte Victoria Kisakye and Pte Isaac Opio.
In a Wednesday ruling, Justice Boniface Wamala ruled that the conduct by the security personnel presented an attack on the applicants’ freedom of the press and media and constituted a violation of the applicants’ right to practice their profession as journalists.
“Having found that the applicants were subjected to acts amounting to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, and that their right to freedom of the press and the media was violated; it follows that the applicants are entitled to compensation by way of damages for such wrongful conduct on the part of the respondents,” Justice Wamala said.
The judge ordered that a sum of shs75million be paid to each of the two journalists as general damages after their rights to dignity and freedom from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment under Articles 24 and 44(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda were violated.
