‘Don’t Force Him To Reveal His Source’: Irumba Warns As Journalist Remmy Remains In CPS

By Swift Reporter 

The President of the Independent Online Journalists Association of Uganda (INDOJA-U), Andrew Irumba Katusabe, has appealed to Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda and Presidential Affairs official Al Haji Yunusu Kakande to intervene in the continued detention of Daily Express journalist Asiteza Remmy.

Remmy has been at Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) since Thursday following his arrest over a story concerning alleged corruption in the recruitment of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) in the Office of the President.

According to Irumba, the journalist’s continued detention has raised concerns within the media fraternity, particularly over allegations that he is being pressured to reveal the source of information used in his story.

Irumba argues that requiring a journalist to disclose a confidential source undermines fundamental journalistic ethics and protections afforded to journalists in the course of their work.

“The two alleged complainants are not arguing that it’s not true or it’s true. No. The condition they have put on him since his arrest, if he wants to be released is that he must reveal the source,” Irumba said.

He appealed to Babalanda and Kakande, who work within the Office of the President, to uphold the principles of the rule of law and seek an amicable resolution to the matter.

Irumba also claimed that the alleged complainants had not formally filed complaints against the journalist, but had instead been communicating by telephone with the officer handling the case, identified as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mpamizo Aggrey. Meanwhile, these claims could not independently be verified.

The INDOJA-U president further referred to an earlier operation in which Minister Babalanda participated in the arrest of individuals accused of allegedly defrauding Ugandans by claiming they could secure RDC positions through connections within the Office of the President.

Irumba said the incident demonstrates that allegations of fraud and corruption linked to RDC recruitment are not new and deserve scrutiny.

He also recalled previous concerns raised by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni about individuals allegedly engaging in theft and fraudulent activities while claiming connections to his office.

Against this background, Irumba called for dialogue between the media fraternity and the officials involved, saying the matter should be resolved without unnecessarily prolonging the journalist’s detention.

“I have been trying to reach out to you since Friday when I got the bad news, but you have been too busy to pick my calls, that’s okay. But I request that let’s compare notes and see how to resolve amicably,” Irumba said.

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He added that if an amicable solution cannot be reached, Remmy should be produced before court so that he can pursue the available legal avenues, including applying for bail.

Irumba maintained that journalists should be able to protect confidential sources in accordance with professional and legal standards, while also acknowledging the need for journalists to exercise responsibility when publishing allegations.

The case has sparked renewed debate about the balance between accountability in public institutions, protection of journalistic sources and the rights of journalists facing criminal investigations.

Meanwhile, attempts to obtain a comment from the complainants were unsuccessful, as calls to their known telephone numbers went unanswered.