NTV journalist detained at Jinja Hospital over lightning strike coverage
A medical worker at the hospital, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the overwhelming nature of the situation.
Jinja: Mr. Isaac Kintu, a Jinja-based reporter with NTV Uganda, faced a troubling incident when he was briefly detained at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital on January 26, 2025.
He was accused of covering an emergency situation without proper authorization and forced to delete footage documenting the aftermath of a lightning strike that injured 12 inmates from Kirinya Prison.
The lightning strike occurred as approximately 50 inmates gathered under a tree for prayers in the men’s remand area of the government prison. The injured inmates were promptly transported to the hospital for treatment, attracting journalists, including Mr. Kintu, to cover the unfolding crisis.
“It was initially normal when I started filming the proceedings at the health facility, but suddenly, I noticed people surrounding me. They wanted to handcuff me before ordering me to delete the footage I had recorded,” Mr. Kintu recounted, describing the distressing experience.
The journalist was held for nearly two hours at the hospital’s police post. Although he has reported the incident to his supervisors, Kintu expressed feeling “psychologically tortured” for being detained while performing his duties.
Ms. Racheal Wambuzi, a journalist with the Uganda Radio Network (URN), who accompanied Kintu, condemned the actions of the security personnel. “The hospital OC, Andrew Ocho, confiscated Isaac’s camera, claiming we were not authorized to cover the inmates. We felt helpless until we made various calls. He was eventually told to delete the recordings and was released without charges,” she said.
The incident has drawn attention to press freedom challenges in Uganda, raising concerns about the treatment of journalists in the line of duty.
Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine confirmed the lightning strike incident and assured the public that the injured inmates were receiving treatment and recovering steadily. He urged calm and reassured families that the situation was under control.
Emergency response teams, including the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) and private ambulance services, were instrumental in transporting the injured inmates to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. However, the hospital faced challenges accommodating the high number of casualties, with some patients being relocated to the floor to make space for emergency cases.
A medical worker at the hospital, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the overwhelming nature of the situation but stressed that critically injured patients were receiving urgent attention.
Efforts to obtain comments from hospital authorities were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
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