IMPUNITY! Lands ministry boss on spot for harassing journalists
Human Rights Lawyers have protested the decision by Victor Kafureeka, a registrar in the Office of the Commissioner Land Registration in the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development for blocking journalists from covering a multibillion land scandal.
On Tuesday, Kafureeka ordered journalists to move out of the room where he was conducting a public hearing in the matter between Nasser Kibaazo and Grace Kyokunda.
Kafureeka told journalists that even though the hearing was public they were not supposed to attend, noting that there are serious issues which they had to hide from the public.
Lawyers led by human rights law guru Derrick Bazekuketta of GEM Advocates protested the directive and challenged Kafureeka to cite the law he based to stop journalists from covering the public hearing proceedings.
“Go on record that this is not a public hearing. Your letter which invites us here is very clear, we are coming for a public hearing not a private issue because if it was a private matter you would have handled it in your office,” furious Bazekuketta said.
He further asked Kafureeka to declare his interest in the matter and put on record that he doesn’t want to be known by the public.
However, Kafureeka was supported by Kyokunda’s lawyer Anthony Bazira from Kihika Byenkya and Company Advocates who insisted and blasted Bazekuketta for supporting journalists to cover a public hearing when they are not an interested party.
“I am telling you, journalists will not cover these proceedings. I will defend his decision (Kafureeka’s directive) even if you proceed to court,” Bazira retorted.
As lawyers were still arguing, Kafureeka called security to kick out journalists with their cameras, an order which was executed by one Kamazi, a counter terrorist policeman.
Sources who remained in the room, briefed this reporter about what transpired.
Kafureeka first told those inside that he was asked by his colleague Moses Ssekito to hear the complaint on his behalf.
Ssekito was contacted on phone to guide the way forward on the matter and later advised to adjourn the matter and the parties will be communicated on the date when the proceedings will resume.
Eron Kiiza, also a human rights lawyer, explained that what Kafureeka did was wrong to convert the hearing from public to private.
He adds that during public hearings, media presence should be encouraged or tolerated.
Mathias Rukundo, the president of the Uganda Journalist Association (UJA) said that the association is going to protest the barbaric action of the government official legally and administratively explaining that journalists cannot be denied access to cover public interest matters.
Recently the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka who is the chief legal advisor guided judges especially those at family court that it is not proper for them to stop journalists from covering family court matters particularly divorce cases because they are public matters since the parties failed to solve it in their beds.
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