The Ugandan regime sponsored media outlets including the state owned daily ‘The New Vision’ are in overdrive publishing all sorts of lies following the arrests of suspects in Col Tom Byabagamba’s new case.
One of the suspects, John Museminali was arrested as part of the ongoing investigation of an attempted escape of a convicted criminal from prison. On the 10th of April, the ministry of defense announced additional charges on the demoted Tom Byabagamba, convicted of various crimes including inciting insurrection, related to his attempted prison escape currently serving his 15 years sentence.
Museminali, whose wife is the sister to Byabagamba’s wife, together with two others are charged with the same offense. Uganda based media outlets, online trolls picked an unprecedented interest, they are trying to make the case a major breaking news event.
These trolls and media outlets are sponsored by the Ugandan regime and have strong undeclared link to the Byabagamba case. Tom Byabagamba is the brother of David Himbara, one of their key pillar in their online warfare against Rwanda, who is conspicuously silent on the issue. In a self interest maneuver, Himbara stayed silent as his colleagues in the anti-Rwanda propaganda like Sulah Nuwamanya, Chimpreports and even the Ugandan State owned The New Vision, took the lead in smearing Rwanda using a lawful arrest.
The fixation and obsession on an arrest case in Rwanda by hostile propaganda from Uganda is even more bizarre given the number of high profile arrests in Uganda. Not so long ago, the former Spy Chief and security minister Lt-Gen (Rtd) Henry Tumukunde was spectacularly arrested in Uganda for announcing his intention to vie for presidency. Tumukunde was later see unable to walk after an emergency trip to the hospital. Recently, a member of parliament, Francis Zaake, was arrested for disturbing food to the needy. Zaake is currently fighting for his life on an ICU bed following the brutal torture he endured from ruthless regime operatives. But strangely, the case of Museminali attempting to break out a brother-in-law excites Ugandan based outlets? It reveals the outlets links to the anti-Rwanda propaganda and confirms Museveni’s regime deep involvement in the macabre effort to smear Rwanda.
Their approach and coverage of the arrest also reveals their system of beliefs of untouchables. Their immediate reaction was to offer Museminali’s spouse biographies when she was not arrested. Sponsored by a nepotistic regime, the hostile propaganda is stuck in a world where “who is who” confers immunity from lawful prosecution.
Naturally, a prison escape or attempted escape investigation will lead to an interest in the prisoner’s contacts. In Rwanda, if that prisoner happen to have a well connected list of family and friends, justice will still be able to investigate.
Unlike Uganda, the Rwandan legal system treats everyone as equal; there are no “historicals” with lifetime immunities.
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