Battered journalist stranded in Hospital

Local TV journalist, Joseph Ssetimba (L) lends a helping hand to his colleague Andrew Lwanga who was recently hospitalised after he was battered by a police officer. Mr Lwanga was on Thursday discharged but remains stranded in hospital after failing to clear hospital bills. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA

Mr Andrew Lwanga, the journalist who was recently hospitalized after he was battered by the Old Kampala Division Police Commander, Mr Joram Mwesigye is stranded in hospital after police failed to clear his bills.
Mr Lwanga, a local TV journalist remains stranded at Nsambya Hospital after he was discharged this morning. The hospital is demanding him Shs1.2 million.
“Yesterday (January 28) we took papers and medical bills to the police headquarters but we were told that police wired the money. However, the hospital management says the money is not reflecting on the hospital account which means I cannot leave before clearing all the bills. The hospital now prefers payment by cash or cheque yet I do not have the money,” he said.
When contacted by Daily Monitor, Police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga said the money is being processed and will be deposited on the hospital account any time.
“Police has maintained its commitment. The money is being processed. We sent the documents to Bank of Uganda and it is now the bank to deposit that money to the hospital account,” he said.
Mr Lwanga was battered while covering a demonstration by members of the Unemployed Youth Association in Kampala.
Meanwhile, the suspect (Mwesigye) was charged with assault at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court but he released on a cash bail of Shs800, 000. Each of his five sureties was bonded Shs2million, not cash.
The case was pushed to February 4 for hearing on grounds that Mr Lwanga (victim) who is the key witness was still hospitalized.
Currently, MPs on the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on the Media are gathering signatures to back their petition against police’s continued brutality on scribes in the country.
The MPs intend to table the petition before Parliament calling for thorough investigations of the police officers involved after returning from the House’s Christmas recess.