Journalist Remmy Asiteza, a reporter with the Daily Express online news website, has been remanded until September 9, 2026, after appearing before Buganda Road Court on Wednesday.

Asiteza was arraigned before Buganda Road Court Magistrate Her Worship Rita Kidasa and subsequently remanded, in a development that has raised concerns among journalists and members of his legal team over the circumstances surrounding his appearance.

According to the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) and members of Asiteza’s legal team, the journalist was brought before court without prior notice to his lawyers and colleagues, despite earlier assurances that he would be formally produced at 2pm.
UJA said its representatives, together with Asiteza’s lawyers Robert Benon Jurua, Atabua Shamil, Allan Wagobe and Brenda Bira, had been assured that they would be present during the afternoon proceedings.

However, the lawyers and journalists were reportedly excluded from the proceedings.

UJA said the only people present were State Attorney Joan Keko and Juma Masuumi, whom the journalists’ body identified as an aide to Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda and a complainant in the matter.
“We only hope for Asiteza’s fair trial,” UJA said in a statement issued after the court appearance.

The court appearance came hours after UJA Secretary General Emmanuel Kirunda issued a protest statement demanding Asiteza’s immediate release and condemning his continued detention.

Asiteza had reportedly been in custody since Thursday last week at Central Police Station (CPS) in Kampala following an operation involving security operatives attached to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU).

UJA also said another journalist, Hannington Mbabazi, had been picked up from Bweyogerere-Kirinnya and detained at SHACU offices before being released without any charge being preferred against him.

According to UJA, police records listed Minister Babalanda and her aide Masuumi as complainants in the matter. However, the association said the specific allegations against Asiteza had not been made clear at the time it issued its protest.

Disputed link to corruption report
UJA said Asiteza’s detention appeared to have followed a report he published concerning alleged corruption in the recruitment of Assistant Resident District Commissioners (ARDCs) and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs).

The report indicated that the recruitment process was under investigation following a presidential directive.

However, UJA emphasised that the alleged connection between the publication and Asiteza’s arrest had not been established as a matter of fact.

The journalists’ association said it first became aware of Asiteza’s detention on Tuesday evening and subsequently sought his release on police bond, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

UJA argued that the prolonged detention raised constitutional concerns, citing Article 23(4)(b) of the 1995 Constitution, which provides for an arrested person to be brought before a court as soon as possible and, in any event, not later than 48 hours from the time of arrest, subject to the constitutional provisions.

Kirunda described the continued detention as a serious concern for press freedom and warned against possible intimidation or interference with independent journalism.
“UJA therefore demands that journalist Asiteza be unconditionally and urgently released,” Kirunda said in the protest statement, adding that the association was engaging legal teams to help secure the journalist’s freedom.

With Asiteza now remanded until September 9, attention is expected to focus on the next stage of the court proceedings, as well as questions surrounding his arrest, period of detention and the circumstances under which he was produced before court.

UJA said it would continue monitoring the case and advocating for what it described as a fair trial, due process and respect for the rights of journalists.