Isaac Kintu, a journalist working with NTV, was briefly detained and forced to delete footage he had captured at Jinja regional referral hospital, where an emergency unfolded following a lightning strike that injured 12 inmates from Kirinya Prison in eastern Uganda.
The incident occurred on Sunday when about 50 inmates had gathered for prayers under a tree in the men’s remand area and were struck by lightning. The injured inmates were rushed to the hospital, prompting journalists, including Kintu, to cover the crisis.
Reports of the incident quickly circulated on WhatsApp platforms in the Busoga sub-region, leaving families of the inmates anxious about their loved ones’ safety.
Kintu was held for nearly two hours at the hospital’s police post and accused of covering the incident without authorization. The journalist has since declined to comment further, stating that he has reported the matter to his supervisors for follow-up.
Emergency response teams, including the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) and private ambulance services, rushed to Kirinya Prison’s main gate to transport the injured inmates to Jinja hospital. Hospital staff, already stretched thin due to it being a Sunday when many regular staff members had signed off early, relied on prison personnel and inmates to help manage the crisis.
A nurse, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the situation as overwhelming, noting that critically injured inmates required immediate attention. Due to limited space, some patients were relocated to the floor to accommodate the influx of emergency cases.
The nurse also revealed that three inmates needed X-rays, a service unavailable at Jinja hospital, to guide their treatment plans. Although the casualties are no longer in immediate danger, they require urgent follow-up care to recover fully from the effects of the lightning strike.
Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine confirmed the incident, assuring the public that the injured inmates were receiving care and recovering steadily. He called for calm, emphasizing that the situation was under control and there was no need for families of inmates to panic.