Timothy Kalyegira, a former Daily Monitor columnist and current publisher of an online newspaper, Tuesday became the first Ugandan to face sedition charges arising from the use of new media, the Daily Monitor has reported. Police on Monday summoned Kalyegira to appear for interrogation over reports that questioned whether it was really the Somali-based militants, the al-Shabaab, that bombed and killed at least 80 people and injured others in Kampala last month.
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He was charged with sedition and released on bond after spending seven hours at Kira Road Police Station. Daily Monitor’s Investigations Editor Chris Obore and society writer Robert Kalumba stood surety and were ordered by Divisional CID boss Prudence Haguma, to produce Kalyegira in police Wednesday for further questioning. She refused to comment about the proceedings. Obore said, “What Timothy [Kalyegira] wrote was within the realm of press freedom; he is free to express his views and if anyone feels offended, they should provide what they think is correct but not strangle other views.”
The police had planned to search Kalyegira’s home Tuesday but were discouraged by lack of transport and time as the questioning went past 6 pm. Kalyegira’s website, www.ugandarecord.co.ug, has questioned the official line in the 7/11 bombings. A debate over this view has been raging on the site – as well as other websites and forums. Till now, sedition charges have been brought against print and broadcast journalists.
The arrest of an online publisher breaks new ground for the police whose Media Crimes Division led the interrogation of Kalyegira. “They questioned him about his publication that the government could have been behind the bomb attacks,” said his lawyer and human rights advocate Ladislaus Rwakafuzi. He said the police may also have been interested in Kalyegira’s sources.
