No Threat To Dutch TV Crew â€" Nagenda
Jul 23, 2003
Presidential Adviser on the Media, has denied that government might deport a Danish Television crew who are currently filming a documentary about Steven Ndugga, a National Resistance Army deserter living in Denmark.
By Joshua Kato
John Nagenda, the Senior Presidential Adviser on the Media, has denied that government might deport a Danish Television crew who are currently filming a documentary about Steven Ndugga, a National Resistance Army deserter living in Denmark.
In The Monitor on Monday, Ojvind Kyro and his film director Mette Zeruneith, claimed they had been persistently threatened with deportation since arriving in Uganda 10 days ago.
The Sunday Vision had previously reported that the army wanted to deport unnamed Danish journalists who had gone to Gulu without clearance.
“No one ever threatened them with deportation,†Nagenda said.
Yesterday, the film crew met defence minister Amama Mbabazi at Bombo Barracks. He reiterated Uganda’s commitment to assist them and said Nagenda had assured him everything was all right.
In a letter to be published in tomorrow’s New Vision, Kyro writes, “We were filming the children in Gulu in order to show how terrible the situation is and how the Danish people through governmental and private assistance is trying to help.â€
Nagenda said he has been in contact with the crew since he is chairman of a committee charged with rebutting the China Keitesi story. While following up the Keitesi story, the committee discovered another film on Steven Ndugga was being made by Magic Hour Films.
“When I went to Denmark, I told them how our country is being hurt by the continued filming of fictitious material, referred to as facts. I then asked them to come to Uganda and get the correct part of the story,†he said. He promised Kyro all the help they needed which he said he has been giving them since they arrived here.
Nagenda said the crew travelled to Gulu without his knowledge and began filming material not connected to the Ndugga or Keitesi stories. Soldiers became suspicious because the crew were not accredited to cover the north.
“I received a call from the military in Gulu that two people claiming to be mine were filming people in Gulu. I categorically told the military that these people were in Gulu without my knowledge,†he said. But the two say they went to Gulu after receiving reports that demobilised child soldiers were being kept at Gulu Save the Children Orgnisation (Gusco) in Gulu.
Subsequently, they returned to Kampala and met Nagenda. “I told them what they had done was wrong since they had not informed me about their intentions to go to Gulu. I never threatened them with deportation, but I promised them more assistance,†Nagenda said.
He said he only asked them to give him regular briefings about their filming in Uganda because they had not provided the script of the film.
He wondered what they would do with the material they filmed in Gulu since it is not connected to Ndugga.
For several months now, government has been making attempts to rebut autobiographical stories by China Keitesi and Steven Ndugga. A documentary called Media Hoax was launched in June.
Both China and Ndugga claim to have joined the NRA as child soldiers.
Ndugga claims that one of his sons was also forced into the army, fought in the Congo but he came and rescued him in a daring mission. China’s story has won her international fame, including meeting the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
Ends
John Nagenda, the Senior Presidential Adviser on the Media, has denied that government might deport a Danish Television crew who are currently filming a documentary about Steven Ndugga, a National Resistance Army deserter living in Denmark.
In The Monitor on Monday, Ojvind Kyro and his film director Mette Zeruneith, claimed they had been persistently threatened with deportation since arriving in Uganda 10 days ago.
The Sunday Vision had previously reported that the army wanted to deport unnamed Danish journalists who had gone to Gulu without clearance.
“No one ever threatened them with deportation,†Nagenda said.
Yesterday, the film crew met defence minister Amama Mbabazi at Bombo Barracks. He reiterated Uganda’s commitment to assist them and said Nagenda had assured him everything was all right.
In a letter to be published in tomorrow’s New Vision, Kyro writes, “We were filming the children in Gulu in order to show how terrible the situation is and how the Danish people through governmental and private assistance is trying to help.â€
Nagenda said he has been in contact with the crew since he is chairman of a committee charged with rebutting the China Keitesi story. While following up the Keitesi story, the committee discovered another film on Steven Ndugga was being made by Magic Hour Films.
“When I went to Denmark, I told them how our country is being hurt by the continued filming of fictitious material, referred to as facts. I then asked them to come to Uganda and get the correct part of the story,†he said. He promised Kyro all the help they needed which he said he has been giving them since they arrived here.
Nagenda said the crew travelled to Gulu without his knowledge and began filming material not connected to the Ndugga or Keitesi stories. Soldiers became suspicious because the crew were not accredited to cover the north.
“I received a call from the military in Gulu that two people claiming to be mine were filming people in Gulu. I categorically told the military that these people were in Gulu without my knowledge,†he said. But the two say they went to Gulu after receiving reports that demobilised child soldiers were being kept at Gulu Save the Children Orgnisation (Gusco) in Gulu.
Subsequently, they returned to Kampala and met Nagenda. “I told them what they had done was wrong since they had not informed me about their intentions to go to Gulu. I never threatened them with deportation, but I promised them more assistance,†Nagenda said.
He said he only asked them to give him regular briefings about their filming in Uganda because they had not provided the script of the film.
He wondered what they would do with the material they filmed in Gulu since it is not connected to Ndugga.
For several months now, government has been making attempts to rebut autobiographical stories by China Keitesi and Steven Ndugga. A documentary called Media Hoax was launched in June.
Both China and Ndugga claim to have joined the NRA as child soldiers.
Ndugga claims that one of his sons was also forced into the army, fought in the Congo but he came and rescued him in a daring mission. China’s story has won her international fame, including meeting the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
Ends