By Our Reporters
Former New Vision investigative/education journalist Fortunate Ahimbisibwe has owned up and publicly confessed partly being responsible for the uncertain ordeal missing Vision Group crime reporter Charles Etukuri must be going through in his ongoing confinement. Etukuri, who had uniquely reported about the controversial death of two European investors in two top Kampala hotels, was abducted earlier in the week from the parking lot of his work place. This incident has since sparked heated debate on radios, TVs, social media and Parliament where MPs demanded an explanation from government. Being a former active insider in the system, Ahimbisibwe assures Etukuri’s friends and family that Etukuri will return safe and unharmed insisting that what his captors must now be doing is to extract as much information from their captive as possible whereafter they will let him go. Ahimbisibwe’s well articulated confession is contained in a long message he posted on his facebook wall (Fortunate Batinti Ahimbisibwe) a short while ago. Below is the original post:
VERBATTIM:
A couple of years ago when I was still young, fresh from University, I started carrying out some ‘assignments’ for some of Uganda’s intelligence agencies. I was young and naïve, I look back and say, some of this, I shouldn’t have done. The motivation was really to supplement my income because journalists’ pay in Uganda was not too far away from that of teachers. The other reason was that if you were identified to carry out tasks by intelligence, there was no room for negotiation. It started as a one job assignment and eventually coercion until both feet will deeply in the water. And there were many of us caught up in this circus. Its is on one of these assignments that I recruited Charles Etukuri for a highly sensitive job. This was his first ‘assignment’. Although the mission aborted at the last minute, the information provided made a difference and we went on for various other missions. This particular assignment involved capturing an army dissident who was being hidden by one of Uganda’s former top journalists who has since been recruited to provide lip service and also make noise for M7. Tables turn and the hunter becomes the hunted. This is the reality of journalism in Uganda, and many other parts of the world. Journalists are recruited into intelligence organisations because more often, these journalists are seen as partners in securing state or individual interests of leaders. Some are willing to do this because it gives access to the much needed sources. Without these sources, journalism would be boring. I know many journalists who are doing this on their own will but there are others who are forced to do it. That is why some journalists end up joining intelligence fully or other associated organisations. There are many examples to prove this. For those who are not aware, this is not the first time Charles has been in trouble with these people. He previously lost his job after a disagreement with KK. The two reconciled. But this time, I think Charles is simply a victim of competing interests and infighting between intelligence organisations. I suspect that my friend Charles got access to information that has put him on a collision line with some chief. I know that they will not harm him, they will extract whatever information they want from him and let him go. It is also likely that he got into trouble because they asked him to carry out an assignment was too ‘deep’. Usually, that’s the biggest challenge of serving two masters.
As I write this, Police ICT Director Amos Ngabirano has been hounded out of work and fled the country. You all remember how Ngabirano was at the centre of Naguru vote fixing during the 2016 elections. Look at Kitata, Nickson Agasiirwe and group. They also served interests of the establishment at some point. To all those carrying out nonsensical assignments for the establishment, I advise you not to overstep the boundaries. NRM people cannot be trusted and you can’t rely on anyone protect you when you badly need it yet you will have crossed the Rubicon during the process of trying to please NRM. In NRM, everyone fights for their own survival. It is well know that Charles is an ally of the IGP and also Salim Saleh but even his employer seems helpless in security his freedom. If Etukuri is lucky, he will resurface the same way Aine did. If he is unlucky, he will be sacrificed to protect some wider interests. I have since grown old retired from these activities and I hope that this message will help some people to learn from some of these cases. I am enjoying my retirement.
