Three Daily Monitor journalists have been charged with sedition over a
story alleging that over 40 Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF)
soldiers are undergoing training in preparation to head the Uganda
Police Force, writes Jacklyne Lumbasi.
The Managing Editor of weekend editions, Bernard Tabaire, Sunday Editor Henry Ochieng and Senior Political writer Chris Obore were released on bond after being questioned and then charged at the CID headquarters.
The September 30 report said that some 40 UPDF soldiers are secretly training as policemen in an ongoing cadet course at Masindi training school, western Uganda, for future deployment as district police commanders.
This report comes against the backdrop of a recent revelations that most police cadets recruited come from western Uganda, the home of President Yoweri Museveni.
Although any qualified Ugandan can join the police force, a serving soldier will first have to retire before applying to join the police force. However this rule has been disregarded since 2000. The current Inspector General of Police is a military officer, as was his predecessor.
The daily Monitor which is a private publication owned by the Nation Media Group has in several cases clashed with the government and its organs over different stories.
The three journalists in question were released on police bond and will keep reporting to the CID headquarters as part of bond terms.
