The Red Pepper Newspaper has been closed by the State with its five directors and three editors confined in Nalufenya detention centre, a dreaded facility in Eastern Uganda.
On 20th November Red Pepper carried a screaming headline “Museveni Plotting to Overthrow Kagame- Rwanda.”
Government would later come out to dismiss this report insisting the ties between the two countries are solid.
A day after Counter-Terrorism Unit of Police raided Red Pepper Offices shutting its operations and declaring the premises a scene of crime.
All employees were held for over 8 hours, their phones confiscated and all other gadgets taken before they were released.
But 8 of the newspaper’s influential personalities were taken to Nalufenya and on Wednesday were charged with treason and offensive communication.
It remains unknown whether they will be produced in Courts of Law and when.
According to reports gathered by this Website, security is questioning them on the source of the story.
But TrumpetNews has learnt that the story was published by a Rwandan online news site Rushyashya in March.
Rushyashya runs under Ebenezer Media Group Limited.
This website runs all its content in vernacular Kinywarwanda.
We have further learnt that the person behind it is identified as Jean Burasa who hails from Nyarugenge and went to Kigali Indepedent University.
According to Rwandans known to him, Burasa is highly entrenched in the security circles.
When you visit the website the stories about Uganda, most of them are negative and unbalanced.
The latest publications on Uganda indicate that President Museveni promoted some military officers as he prepares to send 300 troops to attack Congo.
Another one says that ISO operatives are arresting Rwandan refugees and extorting money from them.
An official in Rwanda government wondered how such an online tabloid has not faced closure with it’s unverified publications which are likely to spark off diplomatic row.
This website couldn’t reach Rwanda Media Council authorities for a comment.
