Kayihura tips scribes on professional conduct

May 02, 2012

Police Chief, Lt. Gen Kale Kayihura has cautioned journalists to stick to the professional conduct while working in riotous areas if they have to get protection from force.

By Cecilia Okoth                      

Police Chief, Lt. Gen Kale Kayihura has cautioned journalists to stick to the professional conduct while working in riotous areas if they have to get protection from force.

He said rioters have these days embedded certain journalists to take certain angles of pictures for purposes of demonizing the police.

“If you are demanding professional conduct on our part, do the same because there is a lot of unprofessionalism amongst you,” Kayihura said adding that some journalists use camera ‘tricks’ to deter factual information thus making the police look like demons.

“As police, we take the media very seriously and are ready to work with you because the media is pertinent in our community policing program which we are striving to implement countrywide,” He added.

Kayihura was responding to some of the major issues journalists face while exercising their work ahead of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebrations.

Siraj Lubwama, who said he has served as a print investigative journalist for 19 years in several media houses, testified that he was beaten and robbed of his money and phone while being detained by police during Besigye’s arrest.

Joshua Mutale, a broadcasting journalist, also alleged to have been tortured by police using pepper spray recently.

“By policy, we do not condone acts of torture against journalists or anyone. It is a question of evidence and when it is found, police officers who are got torturing people are dealt with accordingly,” the police chief said.

Kayihura who also responded to the manner in which a citizen or suspect should be arrested, quoted the criminal procedure court that gives anyone the authority to arrest a suspect.

“There is no law in the world that says, a male police officer cannot arrest a female suspect. However, the force that one uses, must be necessary, reasonable and proportional,” He said.

He also added that in cases where a suspect may become resistant or reject the handcuffs, police can apply force to arrest them.

Kayihura, who participated in this year’s World Press Freedom Day Procession pledged to support and work with journalists.  

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