Uganda Journalist Association has come out to slam Minister for presidency Milly Babalanda and her PA Masuumi Juma for holding journalist Asiteza Remmy in police custody without releasing him or presenting him before court over a corruption story he published on his website dailyexpress.co.ug.
Reports indicate that Asiteza was arrested last week on Thursday on orders of Minister Babalanda over a story which was already in the public domain which the Minister’s office has since not denied. It’s also said that the Minister and her PA who are the complainants are not denying the story but want the journalist to reveal his source.
The story stems from reports that president Museveni had directed a probe by the Internal Security Organization (ISO) into the recruitment of Assistant RDCs few years ago who remained not deployed but parliament had allocated billions for their salaries.
Below is the statement by the Uganda Journalist Association and we publish it verbatim.
PROTEST NOTE AGAINST THE CONTINUED DETENTION OF JOURNALIST REMY ASITEZA ALLEGEDLY ON ORDERS OF MINISTER MILLY BABALANDA AND HER PA JUMA MASUUMI.
Wednesday, August,19, 2026. The Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) strongly protests the continued detention of journalist Remy Asiteza with an online News Website; Daily Express, following his arrest on Thursday, 11, August 2026, allegedly on orders of Minister for Presidency Milly Babalanda and her PA Mr. Juma Masuumi.
Asiteza who has been held in the Police detention at CPS Kampala for 5 days, is said to have been arrested in a joint operation by the security operatives attached to the CMI and State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) with his colleague Hannington Mbabazi, who was picked from Bweyogerere-Kirinnya using a drone and detained at SHACU office, before he could be released on Thursday night without any preferred charge against him.
Police records tags Minister Babalanda and her PA Masuumi as complainants, although the official charge against him remained unknown by the time this statement was put out. However, Asiteza had earlier this month carried a News Article exposing alleged corruption in the recruitment process for Assistant RDCs and RDCs, indicating it was being probed based on a presidential directive. This could be the reason for his detention.
Our attention was drawn to Asiteza’s detention on Tuesday 17th evening time. We tried to intervene through UJA Secretary General’s, seeking for his release on Police bond but in vain.
UJA feels that his continued detention is a violation of the 48-hour rule under Article 23(4) (b) of the 1995 Constitution that sets out a mandatory requirement for any suspect to be produced before Court not later than 48 hours from the time of an arrest.
It also raises serious concerns of intimidation and interference into the independence of journalism. Going forward; UJA therefore, demands that journalist Asiteza un conditionally and urgently be released, considering that he has been held in Police detention beyond legally stipulated time.
UJA is also in touch with legal teams to ensure that Asiteza regains his freedom.
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