Journalist charged with incitement to violence, remanded

Uganda Press; Daily Monitor Ntungamo-based reporter, Perez Rumanzi, has been charged with incitement to violence and remanded in custody for 14 days. The new charge, preferred before the Ntungamo Grade One Magistrate Machenga Francis, was amended from the terrorism and obstruction charges that were initially brought against him before he was released on police bond in April. Rumanzi, 27, was arrested by Special Forces Group (SFG) guarding the first Lady Janet Museveni on Sunday, April 29 for allegedly interfering with the security of the first lady. Prosecution alleges that Rumanzi conducted himself in a manner that got the security concerned. It is alleged that he interfered with the movement of security people, and hurled insults at them, saying their time will come like it happened with Muammar Gaddafi. Ms Janet Museveni was the chief guest at the installation ceremony of the members of South Ankole Diocese synod at Kyamate Cathedral. Rumanzi nearly escaped jail when the magistrate said that the charge of “incitement to violence” was not on the charge sheet, and ordered him to produce two sureties so that he could be released pending amendment of the charge sheet. However, he failed to provide the sureties, and was remanded to Ntungamo Government prison until May 30. Rumanzi says he was cleared to cover the ceremony, but left the venue to off-load pictures from his camera’s memory card. On coming back he was denied access to the venue by Ms Museveni’s security personnel who said he was not cleared. “When they told me to go away, I went and kept the camera and returned to attend the service because I had just been cleared in the morning. They then said they did not want me there. They arrested me and called police to take me to the cells,” Rumanzi says. He will appear before court on May 30.