Three journalists attached to the British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC) in Uganda and Vivian Nakaliika, the wife of NBS TV news anchor, Solomon Sserwanja (in featured photo) are in police custody. The journalists are Godfrey Badebe, Kasim Muhammad and Rashid Kaweesa, URN reports.
Security operatives are still searching for Sserwanja. Robert Ssempala, the Chairman of the Human Rights Network for Journalist (HRNJ), broke the news of the arrest of the journalists.
“Last night security operatives surrounded the home of Solomon Sserwanja, a journalist with NBS TV. However he was not in the house and has since arrested his wife Vivian Nakaliika Sserwanja,” Ssempala said.
Adding that, “It has also arrested two other journalists working with BBC. They are being detained at the CPS in Kampala. The police commander for Kampala Metropolitan Area, Moses Kafeero has told HRNJ-UGANDA that it’s a long story.”
Information obtained by URN shows that the three journalists were picked up from different areas in Kampala last night by operatives from the Internal Security Organisation-ISO.
According to security sources, the four are accused of working with wrong elements from foreign entities. They are said to have bought drugs worth Shillings 5 million from government health facilities and were scheduled to buy from Kiruddu Hospital.
A source privy to the operation, says some of the drugs were found in Sserwanja’s home, which explains the arrest of his wife. Vivian Nakaliika is a Communication Officer in Charge of Health Promotion and Behavioral Change in Ministry of Health.
The four suspects were still in the office of Joshua Tusingwire, the Officer in charge of Criminal Investigations Central Police station (CPS) Kampala together with their Lawyer, Medard Ssegona.
Three BBC Journalists Arrested, NBS TV’s Sserwanja Wanted
