NTV Journalist Ken Odelle Arrested While Covering Security Minister Jim Muhwezi’s Meeting in Soroti

In a development that has sharpened concerns over press freedom in Uganda’s Teso sub-region, Nation Media Group (NMG) and NTV Uganda correspondent John Kenneth Odele (also known as Ken Odelle or Kenneth Odelle) was arrested on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, while covering a high-level security meeting in Soroti City.

Security agencies picked him up at Soroti University, where Minister of Security Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Jim Muhwezi Katugugu had convened intelligence officers from across Teso—including GISOs, DISOs, and other personnel.

The gathering formed part of Muhwezi’s nationwide engagements urging officers to closely monitor government projects, identify service-delivery gaps, and help combat corruption.


Odele was subsequently taken to Soroti City Central Police Station. Soroti City East Division Police Commander Godfrey Byaruhanga said authorities were still verifying the circumstances surrounding the arrest and had not publicly identified any charges by press time.

The incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened political and security tensions in Teso. It followed the detention of former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Peter Elwelu, whom current CDF Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has accused of subversive activities. Days earlier, on November 6, Iteso Cultural Union leaders petitioned President Museveni, warning of eroding trust between the sub-region and the central government over issues including regional equity, delayed pledges, land disputes, and actions targeting prominent local figures such as Elwelu and former Speaker Anita Among.

Media practitioners have expressed growing unease. On November 7, Uganda Journalists Association President Emmanuel Kirunda called on authorities to respect press freedom, noting that journalists working in fear cannot effectively fulfill their watchdog role.
Odele, a longstanding NTV/NMG correspondent in the Teso region, had been covering the minister’s event (and related regional developments) as part of his normal duties. As of the latest available reports, police had not publicly clarified the precise reasons for his detention or linked it formally to the meeting’s content.

The episode has drawn attention online and in local media, with observers noting the timing amid broader regional sensitivities. Updates on Odele’s status and any official explanation from police or the Ministry of Security were still pending at the time of reporting.
This remains a developing story focused on the intersection of security operations, regional politics, and the operating environment for journalists in eastern Uganda.