Journalists blocked from covering Masaka prison warders case

Journalists operating in Masaka sub region have been denied access to cover court proceedings in which five prison warders attached to Masaka Central Prison are accused of aiding suspects to escape from lawful custody.

On Wednesday, prison warders providing security at Masaka Magistrates Court blocked Journalists from accessing the court room on grounds that they wanted the case to be heard in camera.
“We are not interested in the media, go away. This case is not supposed to be in the media,” one of the accused prison warders said moments before journalists were given marching orders to leave court premises.

The group that appeared before Masaka Grade One Magistrate Tindyebwa Adyeri, included Tom Makanika, John Niwagaba, Isabella Christine Drani, James Chris Kisira and Isaac Bangakene - all attached to Masaka Central Prison.

The prison warders are battling with charges of duty neglect and aiding suspects to escape from lawful custody. The presiding Magistrate Tindyebwa adjourned the case to May 30 because the state prosecutor Sheba Byakutaaga was not in court.
Records before court indicate that the accused persons, while deployed at Masaka High Court on March 1, 2018 to watch over two prime suspects in the infamous Masaka murders, neglected their duties which led to escape of Muhammad Kiddawalime and Musa Galiwango from the dock.

The duo had been presented before court for mention of their case before committal to the high court.
However, a few weeks after their escape, Kiddawalime was killed by a mob after he sneaked into Ms Resty Nakyambadde’s home in Bukulula Sub-County in Kalungu District.

His accomplice, Galiwango, survived the mob but was rearrested in Ntungamo District a week later and transferred to Luzira Maximum Security Prison.
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