Directors and management of online news website, the Spy
Reports (www.spyreports.co.ug)
have issued an apology to Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commander, CP Moses
Kafeero over a believably damaging story about his wedding.
The soft-spoken police boss walked down the aisle, his longtime fiancée Mary Antonia Nakayita, 34, at St. Francis Chapel Makerere University Campus on August 17th 2019.
The colorful function attracted many big-name businessmen, diplomats and big government shots, hence calling for security visibility which, in their story, The Spy Reports attributed the ‘tight security’ was to protect the persons of Kafeero and Antonia from their old friends and/or enemies.
Titled “Tight Security at Makerere Church as Police Chief Marries Third Wife, Splashes Shs500M on Wedding,” the story depicted. Moses Kafeero as a polygamous man who officially plays women, Antonia being the third which, is to the contrary since Antonia is the only known girlfriend, fiancée and finally wife to the senior cop.
“Most importantly, we heartily apologize to Mr. Kafeero Moses for the inconveniences and damage the story in question and earlier stories might have caused him, his family and the institution of the Uganda Police Force… furthermore, our deeper verification revealed that actually Mr. Kafeero Moses has never wedded before and this was his first wedding in his lifetime,” wrote the Spy Reports Directors to Kafeero.
In the same breadth, Spy Reports management also channeled
their apologies through their Umbrella organization, the Independent Online
Journalists’ Association – Uganda (indoja-U), to which they subscribe.
“We also apologize to [indoja –U] where we are members, for falling short of
upholding the journalistic standards and promise to improve going forward.”
Indoja-U Spokesperson, Amon Baita welcomed the development by Spy Reports, describing it as a rare yet ethical practice that Ugandan journalists lack in plenty.
“States all over the world fight, prisons are full of inmates, wars are all over us, marriages have collapsed and communities are in disarray simply because of ego. People tend to look at apologies as a weakness yet it’s the strongest weapon to any upright thinking human to resolve mistakes,” he said, adding Indoja-U voice to that of Spy Reports, to Kafeero.
Below is the apology, verbatim…
28/08/2019
RE: APOLOGY TO MR. MOSES KAFEERO
On August19, 2019, SpyReports run a story under the headline: “TIGHT SECURITY AT MAKERERE CHURCH AS POLICE CHIEF WEDS THIRD WIFE, SPLASHES SHS. 500 MILLION ON WEDDING”.
The story was in reference to the recent wedding of Mr. Moses Kafeero, Kampala Metropolitan Commissioner/ Commander.
We have since established that the story was not factual and didn’t meet the basic journalistic standards and principles. Our deeper verifications revealed that actually, Mr. Kafeero Moses has never had any wedding before and this was his first wedding to Mrs Antonia Kafeero in his lifetime.
It’s against the above background that we commit not only to retract the story in question, but also other earlier stories injurious to the person of Mr. Moses Kafeero.
Most importantly, we heartily apologize to Mr. Moses Kafeero for the inconveniences and damage the story in question and earlier stories might have caused to him, his family and the institution of the Uganda Police Force. We sincerely, ask for your forgiveness.
We also apologize to the Online Journalists Association of Uganda (indoja-U) where we are members for falling short of upholding the journalistic standards and promise to improve going forward.
SpyReports remains committed to publishing the truth through objective and balanced reporting.
SpyReports Management
