The Ankole Times sincerely apologizes to Hajji Faruk Kirunda for an article published on our website (https://ankoletimes.co.ug) on February 3, 2025, titled “Minister Babalanda, President’s Spokesperson Faruk Kirunda, and HR Head in Hot Water Over RDC Transfers.”
In that article, we falsely alleged that Hajji Faruk Kirunda was involved in the appointment and transfer of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), their deputies, and assistants. We unequivocally retract these statements.
We confirm that these responsibilities fall under the mandate of the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, and that Hajji Faruk Kirunda’s official duties do not include involvement in these processes.
We deeply regret the harm this inaccurate and unfounded publication has caused to Hajji Faruk Kirunda’s reputation, both professionally and personally. We recognize his distinguished standing as Special Presidential Assistant – Press & Mobilization/Deputy Spokesperson and understand the gravity of the false accusations made against him.
The Ankole Times is committed to accurate and responsible journalism. We deeply regret this error and are taking internal steps to review our editorial processes to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
This apology and retraction are published on our website and will be included in our next print edition. The Ankole Times provides its written assurance that no further defamatory statements or publications concerning Hajji Faruk Kirunda will be made.
We value the trust our readers place in us and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity. We hope that this sincere apology will, in some measure, address the distress and damage caused by our error.
