CBS presenters quizzed

By Steven Candia and Herbert Ssempogo

TWO presenters of Central Broadcasting Service (CBS), a radio closely linked to the Buganda Kingdom, were yesterday interrogated by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Meddie Nsereko and Moses Kasibante turned up at the CID headquarters at Kibuli at 9:00am.

It emerged later that the Police were planning to use the presenters as witnesses against Betty Nambooze, the chairperson of the Civic Education Committee (CEC), one of the three arrested officials.

The two popular presenters on the vernacular station were summoned by Hajji Moses Balimwoyo, the deputy director of CID to answer charges of inciting violence and promoting sectarianism.

In the presence of their lawyers, they were questioned by detectives who played back audio recordings of their programmes in which the alleged inciting statements were made.

Nsereko hosts a popular evening programme called Kkiriza-Oba –gaana, while Kasibante together with Nambooze hosts Twejukanye on Sunday night. Police sources said they had recordings of all their programmes since last year.

During the interrogations, Nsereko was reportedly asked to identify whether the female voice in the recording was Nambooze’s.

He declined, saying he doubted the recording.

Speaking to the press later, Nsereko said he was quizzed about his July 16 programme in which he hosted Nambooze, the political editor of The Weekly Observer Ibrahim Semuju, FDCs Sarah Eperu and Joseph Luzige, a presidential adviser.

In the programme, Nambooze was quoted as saying the Bibanja Association, which was launched by President Yoweri Museveni a few days earlier, was a way for the Government to grab land from the Baganda.

Kasibante was queried on his July 13 programme, which he co-hosted with Nambooze, but he contested the recording, saying he did not take part in the clip the Police produced for the interrogation.

Nambooze in the July 13 programme accused Museveni of not accepting criticism from people younger than him.

“The President is behaving like a typical old man. They become over-sensitive and they don’t want people younger than them to criticise them,” she told the listeners.

“The reason why we are exchanging sharp words is because it is our time to talk and he (Museveni) is still hanging around… The whole issue is our time has arrived. We are no longer leaders of tomorrow. We are leaders of today. This is our time to rule, we, the Namboozes.”

Earlier, in a speech on July 12, the President had lashed out at the presenters of CBS radio.

“Those people at CBS, I will not say Mengo, are dividing our people,” he said at the launch of the Bijanja Association in Wakiso.

“They are the real enemies. They say those with long noses are responsible for their problems. When we were fighting, did we look at people’s noses? They are stupid!”

Meanwhile, the Police yesterday dismissed media reports that the arrests of the Mengo officials were carried out without the knowledge of Police boss, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura.

The three were arrested by officers from the Anti-Terrorism Section and the Media Offences Section of the CID, a statement by Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba explained.

“The officers, working together with other security agencies, have been investigating the actions and statements made by the three for several months, and the IGP was fully briefed on the progress,” the statement said.

“The IGP was satisfied that there was sufficient cause for their arrest and, indeed, sanctioned the arrests.”