The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has confirmed the arrest of Kelvin Katungi, a brother of Journalist Remmy Bahati, more than 20 hours of search by family.
Bahati, a former a reporter with NBS TV now based in the United States on Saturday used Twitter to communicate that two of her family members and their friend in Fort Portal, were abducted by armed security personnel and whisked to and held at an unknowned destination.
“Armed plain clothed men driving a drone with no plates have stormed my 76 year old father’s house in Fort Portal City searching for guns. They didn’t find any and abducted my brother, cousin and his friend who was visiting. Their whereabouts are unknown. Help me find them,” Bahati wrote on twitter.
Now, Defence Spokesperson, Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye says Kelvin and colleagues are held on allegations of masquerading as security personnel and commit different crimes.
“Police Flying Squad assisted by other security agencies carried out an operation to apprehend criminals who have been masquerading in military attires, conning people in and around Fort Portal City,” Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye said on Sunday.
“On a tip off, one Kanyesigye Allan, main suspect, was netted in Semuliki Lodge and Bar with a lady accomplice, Peace Sudal,” he adds.
Gen Kulayigye says on interrogation, Kanyesigye led the security team to the home of Katungi Kelvin (Remmy Bahati’s brother), claiming to be his place of aboard. It was here that Katungi was also arrested. Kulayigye claims he was on a wanted list as the main suspect’s associate.
In the process, security also arrested more two suspected associates of the duo, Mugisa Isaaya and Asaba Abdulatif. They are currently detained at Fort Portal Central Police Station, according to Kulayigye.
Kulayigye has however only posted photos of a one Kanyesigye Allan, he has not shown those of Remmy Bahati’s brother and the two others arrested at his home, creating more anxiety.
“None of the pictures of the suspects shared by UPDF spokesperson, is related to me. My brother, cousin and their friend are still missing and kept by the security operatives. I demand that they produce them dead or alive,” says Remmy Bahati.
As free media space continues to shrink in the country, Bahati has for a couple of months turned out to be a lone voice critical to injustices by the State on journalists and other Ugandans.
Previously, she wrote in the Daily Monitor an article and a series of articles on her socials debunking lies by government in regard compensation of Journalists who were abused by the State in the 2021 general elections.
Government, through Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, had lied at the UN that all journalists who were beaten, injured at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights were compensated.
Several Journalists including NTV’s John Cliff Wamala, Henry Ssekanjako of the New Vision were left injured as NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi had taken a petition to the office detailing the violation against Ugandan by security forces.
A rebuttal by Government of Uganda indicated that the Journalists compensated included Culton Scovia Nakamya of BBS who dismissed the allegations, sending government in an array of shame.
However, Bahati’s efforts to uncover such lies have pit her against top government officials and diplomats. Many at some point publicly on Twitter accused her of tarnishing the country’s reputation.
It is behind this background that some think the arrest and there continued detention is a witch-hunt aimed at silencing the maverick Journalist.