HURINET - Uganda Multimedia News & Information

HURINET addresses the State over curtailed freedoms

Isaac Senabulya — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 11:00:34 +0000

Army on the streets of Kampala. Photo: Sudhir Byaruhanga

HURINET executive director, Muhammed Ndifuuna has lashed out at the State which he is castigating for what he terms as illegal behaviors and acts which has seen rights and freedoms of FDC presidential flag bearer curtailed.

Police arrested Dr. Besigye and took him to an unknown destination coupled with further acts of breaking through the FDC offices and arresting data entrants as well as disappearing with declarations forms, something which the rights activists condemn.

Ndifuuna now challenges the state to create a favorable environment for everyone to operate warning that if such acts continue the country might land into chaos. The activists further sight private security firms for engaging in the electoral process of the country as they have now been deployed to man security on the streets donning army uniforms.

HURINET who also observed the polls point out irregularities among them being the disemphranchisment of voters in some areas, ballot stuffing, late voter material delivery, voter material taking long hours to be collected from the field, among others. They now recommend that security agencies desists from intimidating voters, state allows opposition express their feelings over the outcomes, UPDF get off the streets and the state reconcile with the opposition to avert tension.

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Many Ugandans have not fully accessed basic rights – HURINET

Isaac Senabulya — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 16:05:40 +0000

Rights activists in Uganda are decrying the continued marginalization among citizens despite government signing global protocols geared at improving the rights of their citizens.

According to the activists under their umbrella body HURINET many Ugandans have not fully accessed basic rights to mainly targeting education, health, clean water among others with activists still mentioning that the country still experiences hunger amidst plenty of food with homeless children eating from garbage pits, ill-fed internally displaced people and refugees noting that 38% of the children below 5 years being stunted. However, they are calling for investigations in the root causes of social economic problems if they are to be tackled effectively and also acknowledge that they exist if the country is to find a solution to these problems.

Addressing a joint news conference today in kampala the executive director HURINET Muhammed Ndifuuna, national coordinator public interest law clinic (PILAC) Christopher Mbazira and the executive director initiative for social economic rights (ISER) Salima Namusobya state that they are organizing a national conference on social economic that will check the current national policies on social economic rights and how best they can be implemented

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HURINET must substantiate 2011 election violence accusations

Gerald Businge — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:20:11 +0000

By Josepha Jabo, Kampala

At a recent press conference, HURINET Uganda, a human rights body, alleged that the increasing cases of violence around the country are linked to the elections.

However, it did not prove that the highlighted violent acts were actually ‘election violence.’ Incidents of thuggery and other acts of crime will always occur (regardless of the season) and just because a country is going through an election period does not necessarily mean that crime will grind to a halt.

What it does mean, however, is that security organisations should work harder than ever before to maintain peace and security at this critical time – which is what they have been doing.

For a long time now, human rights bodies have unfairly castigated the Police, accusing it of human rights violations in the course of its duties. Human rights organisations have failed to acknowledge that the Police are doing a commendable job.

Since the nomination of eight presidential candidates in October 2010, what major violent event has occurred? The answer is none. Human rights bodies should give credit where it is due.

The euphemism ‘election violence’ can only be used after there is concrete evidence of a systematic and concerted effort by political actors to coerce the voting public.

HURINET should give us the evidence and show us the facts to backup their claims. Otherwise, employing unsubstantiated, overly-critical conjecture makes human rights bodies like HURINET lose their credibility.

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