By Innocent Nahabwe
During my years as a photo journalist, I experienced many beatings at the hands of many ‘socialites’ just because I took their pictures. A few stand out, one in S.6 when the whole school did mob justice on me over a story.
The other was at National Theatre around 2003 when Jeff now Goodlyfe Manager was Chameleone’s bouncer then roughed me up and broke my camera because I took his boss’ picture with a girl. Good enough, that girl is now Chameleone’s wife.
Then around 2004, I was roughed up by the Capital FM group at Steak Out when I took a picture of Chris Cotton kissing Karitas… My camera was destroyed, my face bruised. I got the picture though and run it. Funny enough, we still talk. It was very dangerous then to work at night. My colleagues Bruno Birakwate, Eddie Chicco and Henry H. Ssali always helped me secure my films etc. They worked for Monitor so, people never hated them much as they did to me.
Strangely, the editors paid us the same money for these pictures as guys who went to press conferences, got transport and all. That’s unfair!
I am sad to learn of the passing of Mr. Kakebe Royce Mubiru of Vision Group. The Jolly lad was allegedly hit by a beer bottle as he covered a boat cruise event. The cut gave him tetanus that led to his death yesterday. Like all of us, he apparently had forgiven her.
Its saddening that people behave badly in public and hate being exposed. Its saddening that journalists still get assaulted for doing their jobs, sometimes by artistes who need them more. Its sad that the media owners don’t compensate their journalists when such things occur. I pray the people in SOCIETY PRESS CLUB (SPC) like Darius Mugisha Claude and others, do something in his Memory. Mubiru was a good lad. May the good Lord judge his soul with mercy.