Seasoned journalist Andrew Mwenda has come out to say that powerful statehouse mafia has all along been trailing the now embattled State Minister for Labour, Mwesigwa Rukutana.
Mwenda says the real story for Rukutana will one day be told. It involves powerful political forces in Ntungamo, the birthplace of Museveni and the First Lady, Janet.
Ugandans on social media accuse Rukutana of being a bully that uses his power to crush small people.
The bitter truth is that the former Deputy Attorney General is struggling with powerful people deeply entrenched in the Statehouse.
Rukutana's error on Friday 4th September played well into the hands of the mafia and haters as the party held its primaries.
Marked violence was reported in real-time on social media during the NRM party primaries throughout the country. For instance, in Mawogole North, elections were suspended due to an escalation of violence.
In Ntungamo, it was indeed a blatant abuse of power for Rukutana to grab a gun from a trained police officer to take the law into his own hands, Mwenda analysed.
"I condemn that in the strongest terms. But this does not blind me to the possibility that Rukutana may not have fired any gun at all. If he did, the person recording that specific video would have been all too happy to show him firing and we would have heard the gunshots," Mwenda scrutinises.
According to the video clip that is making rounds on social media, media houses were quick to spread the misinformation without strong evidence.
"I have watched in shock the social media mob lynch Rukutana condemning him for shooting someone. Police were quick to arrest and detain him." Mwenda posted.
Without scrutinising the situation, journalists in mainstream media went on to spread misinformation that the Minister for Labour had shot someone dead.
Police were quick to arrest and detain him with three of his bodyguards at Ntungamo police station.
The seasoned journalist also appears to criticize the president for staying Rukutana's police bond.
"President Yoweri Museveni joined the fray and ordered police not to issue any bonds, a politically astute move but illegal and a clear abuse of power," Mwenda noted.
Today, the President has hinted on the further prosecution of Mwesigwa Rukutana on charges related to murder, assault or attempted murder.
The Minister was remanded this afternoon to Kakiika prison in Mbarara by Ntungamo Grade One magistrate Nasifah Namayanja.
However, Mwenda cautions journalists to be extremely attentive to instantaneous news in today's social media age and technologies such as deep fake and photoshop.
A new video that is circulating on twitter appears to show a woman feeding questions to the Ntungamo shooting victim in a hospital ward.
Comments