Journalists charged with disturbing Kayihura's peace

Robert Ndawula and Stanley Ndawula at Kampala City Council Authority Court yesterday. Photo by Kennedy Oryema

City Hall Magistrate, Beatrice Kainza, has charged two journalists; Stanley Ndawula, 45 and Robert Ndawula, 28, with defamation and disturbing the Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura's peace.

Police alleges that the duo published in their local online publication stories which defamed the IGP and disturbed his peace.

The magistrate read out charges of libel and offensive communication to the accused, who denied the offences. They were charged under section 179 of the Penal Code Act (PCA) and section 25 of the Computer Misuse Act.

The Police prosecutor Emmanuel Ayebare (detective assistant inspector of Police) informed court that investigations into the matter are still on going and asked for an adjournment.

The journalists were each ordered to pay a cash bail of sh700,000 after their lawyers led by Fred Kagolo presented to court substantial sureties, who were each bonded at sh 1m not cash.

Police say that the accused in their articles alleged that Kayihura had resorted to killing his own Police officers as a way of covering his own crimes, a story, which according to Police, is false and was intended to cause hatred, ridicule and damaging the reputation of Kayihura.