A tale of two newspaper stories

The New Vision's Barbara Kaija in a column in her newspaper decries the less-than-impressive standards of professionalism on Uganda's journalim scene.

Uganda today has 10 or so mass media educational institutions and yet most of our media houses are littered with evidence of lack of skill and professionalism.

Often I read a story about a function I have attended or an incident I have witnessed and I am ashamed by the levels of inaccuracy. Sometimes I watch colleagues at work and I wonder what happened to the old-cherished notebook.

I think if there is an enemy we need to address as the journalist fraternity or any area we need support on, from the stakeholders, it is our professionalism. 

It's common for two different people to relate different accounts of the same occurance. But for professional journalists, the aim should be to inform and not to sway opinions unless it is by way of commentary. HH the Agha Khan's newspaper, The Daily Monitor, is so intent on spinning the Besigye arrest story in favour of the opposition that it privately seeks their opinion in this big game of spin. See the two hammer stories first from The New Vision and then The Daily Monitor.

(New Vision) In the footage presented by the Government, Besigye starts his journey from Kasangati with some foreign journalists following him.

As he drives through Mpererwe, areas his motorcade reduces speed and Besigye emerges from his seat to the open roof, waves at the bystanders and returns to his seat.

When he arrives at Kalerwe, his motorcade slows down further. Besigye again emerges and waves. His vehicle drives towards the roundabout at Kubbiri. Boda Boda riders join in and start hooting as they mob his vehicle.

He stands through the open roof again and flashes the FDC V-sign. At Kubbiri roundabout, the Police, led by the commander of the Kampala Metropolitan Police, Grace Turyagumanawe, halts his advance to the city via Wandegeya. It showed crowds pelting Police officers with stones

Turyagumanawe talks to Besigye and later advises him to use Mulago Hill road to use the Yusuf Lule Road and link to Mukwano Road, to Queenway and then to FDC offices in Najjanakumbi.

At Mulago roundabout, a traffic police officer directs Besigye’s car towards Yusuf Lule road. It also showed Besigye arguing with Turyagumanawe through a roof top of his car.

Besigye insists that he wants to go to his Bank in Wandegeya and not his office. The crowds then increase in number and Besigye is seen trying to drive away. The police followed him and blocked his car.

The video also showed him holding a hammer. “I will hammer you, don’t disturb,” Besigye is heard saying in the footage.

An unidentified man quickly gets it from him while another man dressed in a civilian clothes pulls out a pistol but quickly puts it back.

The rest of the footage shows the crowd trying to block the road with stones.

(Monitor)  One of the clips had been presented by government through the junior Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Matia Kasaija, while the second was presented by FDC secretary general Alice Alaso to counter the first show.
In the clip from government, apparently patched together from footage of different events, Dr Besigye was shown holding a hammer and threatening to hit the police.

And then:

(New Vision) After the Government presentation, the opposition also screened their footage. Their footage starts with plain clothes officers arresting and beating up one of Besigye’s men.

It also shows another plain-clothed security official Gilbert Arinaitwe, Besigye’s car window screens with a pistol.

The officers then spray tear gas inside the car and Besigye, shields his face.

The clip also shows Arinaitwe and other plain clothes and Police officers shoving Besigye under a seat on the back of the Police patrol car.

In her statement, MP Alice Alasot insisted that the Government wanted to assassinate Besigye.

She also said Besigye accepted Police orders and drove through Mulago but was blocked at Mulago roundabout.

“It’s not true that he blocked traffic. It is the Police who blocked the road both behind and in front of him. This was done as Turyagumanawe communicated on phone, getting instructions on what to do with him,” Alaso said.

Alaso added that the hammer, which Besigye had fell into the car after an unidentified hooded man smashed the screen.

She tabled pictures of the man holding the hammer.
“When the hammer fell inside the car, the man ran away and Arinaitwe took over, smashing his car screen and spraying him with pepper,” Alaso said.

Turyagumanawe allegedly called his men and ordered them to spray the pepper inside Besigye’s car.

(Monitor)  While that from the opposition showed a hooded police operative running away from Dr Besigye’s car and the opposition politician telling journalists that the hammer the man was wielding had just fallen in the car.

Opposition MPs said the clip brought by the minister of internal affairs was doctored to portray the FDC leader as having used pepper spray and a hammer to hit the police. This angered the opposition who called for honesty rather than posturing.

“This is mere acting. Everyone knows what happened but they brought the cut-and-paste videos. We can’t accept this,” Mr Abdu Katuntu (FDC, Bugweri) said.