Why was I portrayed as a villain when I was a victim?
Mar 27, 2008
EDITOR—I wish to comment on your story, “NRM celebrates Bukhooli win†published on March 20. The writers of the story deliberately gave the readers selective truth and distorted information about me. Some of the words attributed to me were not mine. The victim of government-inspired harassmen
EDITOR—I wish to comment on your story, “NRM celebrates Bukhooli win†published on March 20. The writers of the story deliberately gave the readers selective truth and distorted information about me. Some of the words attributed to me were not mine. The victim of government-inspired harassment is portrayed as the villain!
Your writers must have been some of the journalists who were compromisingly embedded and travelling in the Bugiri RDC’s convoy of four vehicles carrying mostly armed men and stick-wielding NRM mobilisers that waylaid me on my way from Namago polling station. There were about 30 people travelling in those vehicles.
I was with a friend, Wycliffe Wafula, doing election supervision in Kapyang sub-county. The time was about 12.45pm. The cars blocked the road and obstructed me from proceeding on my way where we met. I stopped my car as armed men jumped out of those cars followed by cameramen and the RDCs, Margaret Kikomeko of Bugiri and Nabanja of Busia.
Six armed men surrounded my car with their guns as the RDCs attacked me with a barrage of words while their cameramen filmed the incident. I was surprised that the journalists did not even see it necessary to talk to me. No wonder they lied that the incident happened at a polling station!
I think the whole thing was all stage managed to intimidate and harass me out of the field because my moving around was sort of inconveniencing NRM functionaries. After the incident, I drove straight to the Bugiri Central Police Station to report a case of harassment, intimidation and humiliation.
Wafula Oguttu
Kampala
Your writers must have been some of the journalists who were compromisingly embedded and travelling in the Bugiri RDC’s convoy of four vehicles carrying mostly armed men and stick-wielding NRM mobilisers that waylaid me on my way from Namago polling station. There were about 30 people travelling in those vehicles.
I was with a friend, Wycliffe Wafula, doing election supervision in Kapyang sub-county. The time was about 12.45pm. The cars blocked the road and obstructed me from proceeding on my way where we met. I stopped my car as armed men jumped out of those cars followed by cameramen and the RDCs, Margaret Kikomeko of Bugiri and Nabanja of Busia.
Six armed men surrounded my car with their guns as the RDCs attacked me with a barrage of words while their cameramen filmed the incident. I was surprised that the journalists did not even see it necessary to talk to me. No wonder they lied that the incident happened at a polling station!
I think the whole thing was all stage managed to intimidate and harass me out of the field because my moving around was sort of inconveniencing NRM functionaries. After the incident, I drove straight to the Bugiri Central Police Station to report a case of harassment, intimidation and humiliation.
Wafula Oguttu
Kampala