Engineer Patrick Amuriat Oboi, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party President-Najjanakumbi faction, has apologized to the media fraternity over the unfortunate incident that took place on Thursday, July 20, 2023, where some individuals within the party assaulted journalists.

In a statement released on Thursday, July 20, 2023, Amuriat condemned in the strongest terms possible the violence and aggression emitted on the journalist, and promised to punish those found guilty.

“We deeply APOLOGIZE to all the journalists who were hurt during this incident. We have and shall always recognize journalists as one of our great allies in the struggle for democracy, and we acknowledge their invaluable role in informing the public and holding us leaders accountable. We are committed to taking immediate and decisive action to address the situation,” the statement read in part.

Amauriat further added that, they have launched an in-depth investigation into the unfortunate incident, and the individuals responsible for the mess will be held accountable.

He promised that they will be managing incidences that may lead to such uncalled for acts in the future.

The statement of apology comes after journalists demanded for an apology from the team at FDC Najjanakumbi, where they had gone to attend a press conference organized by the party Chairman, Wassawa Bigiriwa, where upon their arrival, a gang of men descended from the party premises and physically assaulted journalists and took off their personal gadgets.

According to Gabriel Buule, a journalist, the police must arrest whoever ordered the assault, together with the individuals who carried out the assault.

He noted that, those who were manning the FDC party headquarters at the time of the incident should be held accountable by FDC.

The Journalist fraternity therefore demanded for a comprehensive apology and explanation from FDC leadership.

“All journalists are asked to stay away from any event that happens at FDC headquarters in Najjanakumbi until our demands are met,” Buule said.

In the statement of apology, Amuriat has extended his sincere apologies to the media fraternity in respect to their role in upholding democracy and providing unbiased information to the public.