FDC youth clash with journalists

Mar 18, 2019

All this followed the party’s abrupt decision to call off the press conference much to the chagrin of reporters who had waited since morning

A scuffle ensued between members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party's youth wing and journalists who turned up to cover the party weekly press conference on Monday.

It followed an attempt by some of the party youth to lock up some of the reporters inside the boardroom at the party's headquarters in Najjanankumbi where the presser is always delivered.

All this followed the party's abrupt decision to call off the press conference much to the chagrin of reporters who had waited since morning.

The press conference is usually addressed by the party spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, and starts at 11 am with many reporters arriving early to beat the heavy traffic along the Kampala-Entebbe Road.

However, after almost an hour of waiting, an unidentified party official took to the podium to announce that the press conference had been called off citing that the people meant to address the press had other commitments.

The journalists protested, discontent that this was the third time that the party was doing this without prior communication. While others stormed out of the boardroom in protest, the others remained seated inside as the drama unfolded.

The scuffle ensued when the reporters who had earlier left, attempted to return to the boardroom to discuss a resolution by members of the media to boycott party activities.

Some section of the party youth moved to halt the move, blocking journalists inside the boardroom from leaving. This prompted journalists who were outside to demand to have the door opened hence the scuffle that lasted minutes.

Journalists through the Uganda Journalists Association spokesperson, Ronald Kabuye, demanded an apology from the party for the treatment of journalists, vowing to boycott the party activities unless an apology is issued.

"I think we need to put a stop to this. It is high time we stop covering these guys, they invite us here to cover them and at the end, they disappoint us. We want the party spokesperson and the party president to publically apologise," Kabuye said adding that they have given them a day to act.

The party's chief administrative officer, Pauline Namyanzi, apologised on behalf of the party and pleaded with the journalists for forgiveness over the unfortunate incident.

"We are really sorry for some of our members who tried to lock some of you inside the boardroom and please forgive us for not being able to convene the press conference. The speakers who were to address you were not readily available. We assure you that this will now happen again," she said.

However, some party officials claimed that the errant youth were not their members and that they could have been planted to tarnish the image of the party.

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