Ugandan journalist charged with Criminal Libel

From the Steps; Timothy Kalyegyira, an online journalist and editor of the site, Uganda Records, has been detained and charged with criminal libel. Kalyegira, a veteran journalist, and analytic of the government has had lots of run ins with the government agencies, since his days at the Daily Monitor.
Among the first Ugandan journalists to be charged over sedition is Sam Katwere, of the then The Start Newspaper. Sam’s story was published on 22nd September 1989, under his column “Carry On”. The day’s story was titled ‘Telling us lies’.
In the story, Sam compared the benefits received by Dr. Frank Mwine, Chairman and Manging Director of then Uganda Commercial Bank, with the compensation received by peasants in Luweero after the war.
Sam had earlier been arrested in 1984 with Drake Sekeba. And the crime then was a piece of article they wrote arguing the Obote government to probe wealth ministers. They were arrested and thrown into Luzira upper prison.
Kalyegira’s name is on the long list of Ugandan journalists who have found themselves on the wrong side of government and its agencies. He is the first Ugandan online journalist to be arrested.