The Report by the UN office of the higher commissioner for human rights shows that out of the 909 complaints received by the office, from January 2012 to December 2013, 590 were against security agencies, with the police of Uganda topping the charts with 287 complaints.

The complaints against the Uganda police include torture, detention without trial, trial of civilians by the Court Martial, and violations of the rights to freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.

The Uganda police spokesman Fred Enanga says that many of the complaints are beyond the police control. He says police detains suspects beyond 48 hours because some suspects refuse to make statements without their lawyers.

He says that there are cases where a doctor’s examination report is needed before the police go to next step and doctors are not readily available.

But Samuel Herbert Nsubuga, the chief executive officer African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV) says over 1500 people are tortured by Uganda police every year.

Ends