KABALE JOURNALISTS BLOCKED FROM COVERING NRM CEC ELECTIONS

By Grant Ahumuza

www.mknewslink.com

In Kabale

Journalists in Kabale district were yesterday blocked from covering elections of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party Central Executive Committee-CEC.

The elections included the voting of the 1st national vice chairperson, 2nd national vice-chairperson (female) and the six regional vice-chairpersons for Karamoja, Northern Uganda, Eastern, Central and Western Region.

At around 8:00AM, journalists arrived at National Teachers College (NTC) Kabale main gate in Kabale municipality where the exercise for Kabale district was being held but were blocked from entering.

 At around 1; 00pm, they were allowed to enter inside the premises but were barred from entering the main hall where voting was being held. 

Police officers said that they are working on orders of their superiors to stop local journalists from witnessing the voting. Only Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) journalists from Kampala were allowed in from the start.

Wilfred Arinda, a journalist attached to Watchdog Uganda said that police officers did not give any explanation behind the blocking. 

Arinda added that blocking journalists from covering such an election is an indication that they could have been hiding something.

Uziah Tusasire, a journalist with TV west noted that blocking journalists from covering such an election is a denial of information to the public.
Darius Nandinda, Kabale Resident District Commissioner said that security could not allow journalists to cover voting exercise due to Covid-19 preventive guidelines.

 He said that there was no logic behind to block journalists.

Ismail Masaba, NRM Elections Zonal Team Leader for Kigezi region later told our reporter that blocking journalists resulted from lack of coordination between the party and media houses. 

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