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Rights body expresses concern over escalating human rights abuses in Uganda

Gerald Businge — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 13:53:42 +0000

The National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders in Uganda (NCHRD-U) has expressed concern over the escalation of human rights violations across 2019, specifically targeting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). As we start the New Year – and a new decade – we wish to reflect on major incidents that shaped the year, available opportunities, and issue a call to action for the year 2020.

HRDs during press conference

This year precedes the year when Uganda will hold the general elections – 2021 general election. It, therefore, presents heightened political rights activity in the country as citizens and political actors seek to exercise their right to participate in political affairs.

During the process, HRDs play a crucial role to stand up for the human rights of others by informing, documenting, reporting, campaigning, monitoring electoral processes, and advocating for the respect of rights for all.

As we will highlight below, already indications of a charged atmosphere that ties in both state and non-state actors involved in the electoral processes are already forming. Over the last week, one presidential hopeful, Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi (Kyadondo East MP) has been pre-occupied with running battles with the Uganda Police Force in an attempt to carry out his nationwide consultations.

During these running battles, actors such as Journalists, private citizens including children equally haven’t been spared with close to 16 journalists under attack in separate incidents in Kampala, Gulu and Lira.

Highlights of attacks on HRDs in 2019:

NGO break-ins continue unabated. In one of the incidents during the year, the offices of Doing Good, a Dutch women-led organisation in Bulange Zone A, Rubaga, Kampala was broken into on September 26, 2019, by unknown assailants.

At least 8 laptops, 9 mobile phones and a sum of Uganda Shillings 26m were stolen. In a meeting with the Minister of Internal Affairs Hon. Obiga Mario Kania on August 28, 2019, there was a commitment from the Uganda Police Force to release findings from investigations into the dozens of NGO office break-ins. To date, nothing has materialised.

HRDs’ right to assemble equally remains under attack. In one of the recent incidents in October 2019, when Makerere University students demonstrated against the university fees increment policy, police and other security forces violently clamped down on the peaceful assemblies that were largely led by female students.

Over 100 students were arrested and detained beyond 48 hours. Most of them were only released from police on orders of the court. Journalists who tried to cover the attacks and demonstrations were attacked by soldiers and beaten up. Teargas canisters were shot directly at journalists.

On November 4, 2019, in a demonstration to the police headquarters to protest brutality against journalists, 8 journalists were arrested in a brutal and demeaning manner. The arrests followed police interception of a peaceful protest in a bid to submit a petition against sustained attacks and brutality against journalists to the police leadership.

Over time, despite various engagements on the Public Management Order Act, the police continues to misapply this law to unfairly restrict legitimate assemblies of HRDs and other actors in complete disregard of the Constitution, the Act, and related decisions of the Constitutional Court.

HRDs also experienced illegitimate restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression and press freedom. Most attacks were seen as a deliberate move by the perpetrators to cover up their unlawful acts. For instance, journalists were targeted for covering the Makerere University students protest.

Journalists and media houses were also targeted by the Uganda Communications Commission for covering the arrest of Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi.

On September 13, 2019, human rights lawyer Mr. Eron Kizza was summoned by the Media Crimes Division of the police to record a statement in a criminal investigation. The summons came on the backdrop of critical posts he had posted on his Facebook page protesting the conduct of a trial judge in a land case where he is representing over 3,000 people in a forced eviction case.

Human Rights Defenders and Elections:

Across 2020, HRDs working on elections faced numerous challenges in the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. In our 2019 report titled, “Democracy on Trial”, we extensively documented the pattern of human rights violations suffered by HRDs working in the context of elections in Uganda.

One of the on-going cases is the arrest of election monitors. On 10th July, 2019, William Anyolitho, the Executive Director of Life Concern Uganda (LICO-U) and the Board Chair of the Alliance for Election Campaign Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), and 3 other accredited election observers operating under ACFIM were condemned and ordered to apologise at a stakeholders meeting in Nebbi district for appearing on a local radio evening talk show to narrate their ordeal in police detention.

The observers were arrested in Erussi Sub County in Nebbi district on 8th July 2019 on the orders of the Electoral Commission for allegedly engaging in election observation activities without accreditation. They were detained for one night at Nebbi District Central Police Station.

After the closure of the notorious Nalufenya facility, no meaningful action was taken by police to ensure that perpetrators of torture at the facility are brought to justice. As a result, torture and incommunicado detention continued to be carried out in other ‘safe houses’ in Kampala, Wakiso and some Islands under the control of the various security forces. Many victims have recounted their torture ordeals in the facilities.

In September 2019, MPs on the parliamentary committee on human rights were blocked from accessing suspected ‘safe houses’ in Nkokonjeru, Kyengera, and Nalukolongo – generally described as secret torture sites used by Ugandan security forces.

Opportunities for a better operating environment for HRDs:

In 2019, the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act 2019 came into force. In 2020, HRDs across the country need to use the law to hold individual perpetrators to account in magistrates courts.

Avenues for dialogue, like we have seen happen last week between the Electoral Commission, Uganda Police Force, and Presidential hopeful Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi must be made available for various actors inclusive of HRDs for meaningful participation in the 2021 electoral process.

Across 2019, efforts to call for an HRD specific law gathered momentum with various initiatives. NCHRD-U and other strategic partners seeking a law for the protection of HRDs convened a national benchmarking meeting. If passed into law, this bill would advance the protection of HRDs in Uganda. In 2020, we will step up efforts towards the law.

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Police budget slashed by 721 billion

Isaac Senabulya — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 06:37:37 +0000

Uganda Police IGP, Gen. Kale Kayihura

Uganda Police Force requires 1.2 trillion shillings for the next financial year 2018/19 to curb crimes, increase capacity of police officers and improve public image of the force.

The Undersecretary of the police force Rogers Muhirwa said that the force has instead been allocated 514 billion shillings, a shortfall of 721 billion shillings which will impede the police services programme which are mainly operational activities.

These include utility arrears worth 34 billion shillings for 9,000 personnel with a shortfall of over 7 billion shillings and the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence that has been allocated 9 billion shillings yet it requires 114 billion shillings therefore CIID can only investigate and conclude 3% of the 50,000 estimated capital cases annually.

The director for finance Edward Ochom said that the police force has so far realized reduction in crime rates in the past three years from 298 crimes committed in 1,000 people in 2014/15 to 292 crimes in 2016/17 and hope to achieve a target of 200 crimes in 2020/21.

He however says the force has challenges in responding to calls for help in cases of fire outbreaks among others.

ALSO READ: Police Officers Advised On Hard Work and Discipline

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Why Kansingye was dropped as police spokesperson

Derrick Senyonga — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 08:10:20 +0000

New Police Spokesperson Emilian Kayima. Internet Photos

The Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, yesterday appointed Emilian Kayima new Police Spokesperson. Kayima replaced Assistant Inspector General of Police, Asan Kasingye.

But why was Kasingye dropped in the latest reshuffle? Below are reasons doing rounds on social media.

ALSO READ: Kayima appointed Police spokesperson, Kasingye dropped

Kasingye often contradicted himself

One of the shortest serving police spokespersons, Kasingye, often contradicted himself and his superiors on a number of issues.

Just this week, Kasingye contradicted his earlier statement that had rubbished a New Vision story that reported that US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had joined investigations into the serial murders of women in Wakiso district.

Dropped AIGP Asan Kasingye. Courtesy photos

The arrest of senior police officers

Several police officers have recently been arrested by the army’s investigation wing over various accusations. This brought tension within the force and Kasingye had to deal with the negative publicity and what looks like a turf war between security agencies within police, army and intelligence.

The Chief Police Commissar (CPC) role

In a communiqué passed to all units, Kayihura said he was delinking, the office of police spokesperson from the political commissariat because the biggest challenge facing police now is dominant negative attitude and values which can only be sustainable cured through political education. Kasingye has been doubling as police spokesperson and Chief Police Commissar (CPC).

“I won’t have the leisure to do that as I will be taking leave of Spokesman function to concentrate on Commissariat work,” Kasingye tweeted.

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Kayima appointed Police spokesperson, Kasingye dropped

Derrick Senyonga — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 07:41:13 +0000

Dropped AIGP Asan Kasingye. Courtesy Photos

The Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, yesterday appointed Emilian Kayima new Police Spokesperson. Kayima replaces Assistant Inspector General of Police, Asan Kasingye, who had been appointed police spokesperson in March this year after the gunning down of then police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi. Kaweesi was gunned down near his home in Kulambiro.

“In order to enable CPC concentrate on improving the ideological quality of police officers, and the constabulary through political education, am delinking once again the office of the police spokesperson from the political commissariat,” Kayihura said.

New Police Spokesperson SSP Emilian Kayima. Internet Photos

Kayihura further ordered CPC to propose an urgent programme of political education for the units, and setting up of police school of political education which must begin this financial year with the help of UPDF political commissar Brig Matsiko.

“As we discussed, you should in the course of December this year after the Police Council meeting arrange a seminar for all officers ; graduands of NALI, Kyankwanzi to give you a head start,” he said in his notice.

According to New Vision, Kasingye said it was difficult for him to hold two offices. The spokesperson docket took most of his time saying the IGP had briefed him about the changes.

“What the IGP has done is to separate the two offices. Kayima becomes the Police Spokesperson,” Kasingye explained.

“I won’t have the leisure to do that as I will be taking leave of Spokesman function to concentrate on Commissariat work,” Kasingye tweeted.

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MP says police should seek help from the army on disciplining their officers

Gerald Businge — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 14:13:31 +0000

Jovah Kamateeka (R) chairs the Human Rights Committee of Parliament.

The Woman Member of Parliament for Mitoma district, Jovah Kamateka, has asked the Army to assist police to instill discipline among its officers.

Kamateka, who is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights that her proposal should be taken up by the country’s Security Council.

She said that discipline in police officers is still wanting compared to the army officers.

Kamateka faulted police for continued torture against civilians despite of the existence of the Anti –torture Act.

She said that police officers should be trained alongside with the army officers so as when are included in the police force they exercise a degree of discipline required of a police officer.

Uganda anti riot police arresting a demonstrator.Some of the officers are said to be in indisciplined.

Kamateka is also concerned over Uganda police force failure to inform crime preventers what are entitled for in terms of payment though are not eligible for salary so as there is no complaints after serving.

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Uganda Human Rights Commission Report faults Police on torture.

Isaac Senabulya — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 13:20:15 +0000

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has once again put the Uganda Police force on the spot as an institution that grossly violates and abuses the rights of its citizens according to their 2015 Human Rights report.

In its 18^th annual report to parliament detailing the status of the human rights observance across the country, the Commission registered an increase of 4,227 complaints in 2015 compared to 3904 in 2013 period.

However, the report notes that out of these cases, only 731 complaints met the criteria of human violence which were mainly due to family and election violence.

The report ranks prolonged detention of political suspects beyond the mandatory 48 hours, violation of freedom from torture and cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, violation of the right to personal liberty top on the list of human rights abuses in 2015.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.

While delivering the annual report to the Speaker of Parliament, on Thursday July 28, 2016, the Commission Chairperson Hon. Meddi Kaggwa faulted state institutions especially the police for violating the rights of especially suspects by detaining them beyond the mandatory period of 48 hours without being produced in the Courts of law.

Despite the various reports about institutional brutality, UHRC says the Uganda Police is always have the majority of cases of human rights violations reported against it. The Commission insists that the Police personnel should use modern techniques of investigation and equipment to avoid the use of torture in obtaining information and controlling crowds.

“Some police officers have not seen the Constitution and other relevant laws they have to implement while executing their duties. They should be equipped with the relevant compendium of laws”, the Commission Chair noted.

Kaggwa, however, said most of the torture cases were registered during and after the 2016 general campaigns.

Hon. Medi Kaggwa also reported several challenges in the prisons and detention facilities where the high prison population and the detention of juveniles with adults remain key challenges.

The Commission has proposed several decongesting measures that include the amendment of the law to prohibit the detention of civil debtors, the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and the appointment of more judges and magistrates to handle cases especially in the countryside.

Kaggwa reported that UHRC had visited 896 detention centers out of which 173 were for prisons, 205 police stations, 509 police posts, four military prisons and five remand homes.

He noted that the status of prisons is still worrying because prisoners still use the bucket system to dispose off their human waste; a situation he says is unhealthy and can easily cause an outbreak of diseases within the prison.

The report has also highlighted delays in the implementation of the UHRC Tribunal Awards, which has raised a debt to a tune of about 5 billion Uganda shillings.

The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga urged the Commission to follow up on matters relating to justice for minority ethnic groups.

She says that the minimum wage issue which is being pushed by Parliament has never been given consideration.

The Speaker hailed the UHRC for its timely reports but appealed to government to table country reports on human rights before Parliament ahead of their consideration by International agencies. She promised to follow up with all the recommendations in the report.

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Police in Fort portal ruffs up Human Rights Activists

Zakaria Tiberindwa — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 13:26:45 +0000

Gerald Kankya, an activist working with the Twerwaneho Listeners Club (TLC), a community based governance organization in Fort-Portal, Western Uganda and a host of other activists were allegedly attacked, assaulted and battered by about 30 club wielding men along Lugard Road in Fort Portal town on the afternoon of 23rd January 2015.

Kankya says that as he returned from a lunch break with two other friends, a gang of men, clad in Queen Mother Best Kemigisa Nursery, Primary and Vocational Schools traffic reflector jackets, accosted them in the presence and on orders of the Fort Portal District Police commander Kahebwa Geoffrey and another police officer identified as Rwatooro.

“We tried to run towards Voice of Tooro radio station thinking that the presence of many people would prevent the men from attacking us.” Kankya narrated

However he says “Before we could move inside the radio station, the gang of men grabbed me, hit me with their clubs, some boxed me, repeatedly kicked me, and attempted to grab a file I had in my hand which contained a number of TLC documents.”

“During the scuffle, all my colleagues were too scared and ran away leaving me on the ground swarmed by the gang of men. The people around responded by attempting to attack the men who had hit me several times.”

Kankya sustained bruises and a loose tooth. He reported the matter to the police at Fort Portal under case reference number 38/23/01/2015. He was then given a police medical form to take to a government regional hospital for examination and medication.

It is alleged that on returning the form to police, the officers refused to record his statement claiming they were under strict orders from the DPC not to record a statement from him or anyone from TLC on charges related to assault.

When contacted the DPC Kahebwa, denied being involved in the incident

“Did Kankya say that I beat him up? If he was beaten by police officers, I am responsible, but if he was beaten by his fellow thugs and fools like him, then I am not accountable. In fact he is the one who beat up people because we have assault complaints against him”.

The Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda has condemned the DPC’s response to the querry.

“It is unfortunate that the DPC feels no sense of accountability or responsibility in this matter. We call upon the police leadership to ensure that Kankya’ statement is recorded and full scale investigations commissioned into this matter.” reads the statement from HRNJ- Uganda that Ultimate Multimedia Consult has seen.

Whereas the Uganda Police Force is mandated to keep law and order, to protect persons and their property, in the recent past the police has been battering the very people it is supposed to protect. The victims of this objectionable trend in Uganda’s Police Force have been majorly journalists and Human Rights Activists.

Earlier in January 2015, while covering a youth protest organized by National Association of the Unemployed against the newly enacted Public Order Management law, WBS Cameraman Andrew Lwanga was battered to a point of unconsciousness by the Old Kampala District Police Commander Jorum Mwesigye and was rushed to Mulago Hospital for treatment. Another scribe Jospeh Ssetimba of Bukedde Television escaped with minor injuries.

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Red Pepper statement on police closing and deployment at offices

Gerald Businge — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:36:24 +0000

When the Police raided our offices on Monday May 20th, they had a search warrant demanding that we hand over a press release from General Sejusa’s lawyers which we had published the previous week.

We gave them the press release they had asked for but despite that they have continued to search our offices for the same press release for the last four days.

Unable to use our facilities we went to the ‘bush’ and on Wednesday Red Pepper published an edition and outed it on the market.

To our shock, the police pounced on innocent agents and vendors, put them in police detention after destroying copies of Red Pepper’s ‘freedom issue’.

The Uganda police has not only closed off our headquarters but they have gone ahead to deny us our right to publish and trade even after the internal affairs Minister’s statement to parliament that Government has not stopped the besieged newspapers from trading.

We are now forced to believe that the police are intent not on investigating Gen Sejusa’s infamous letter but are focused on financially crippling our company and the hundreds of Ugandans who work here.

This therefore is not a criminal investigation but economic sabotage.

We would like to inform our esteemed readers, advertisers and friends that we are doing everything humanly possible to comply with lawful court orders and request that you remain calm as we invoke the law to force the Uganda Police to allow us our right to trade.

Today, the Police seized more computers from our offices in their unending search.

We demand that the police stop vandalizing our property and immediately vacate our premises.

They have no right to continue denying us our right to do business in Uganda.

Management

Pepper Publications Ltd

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Police again searches Ingrid Turinawe’s house

Gerald Businge — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:47:18 +0000

We have been told that the police have again searched Ingrid Turinawe’s house despite the fact that she was this week remanded to Luzira prison over treason charges.

Turinawe is the head of the Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) Women’s League. Ingrid was arrested on Monday in connection with treason charges.

A source working with police has told us that they have conducted another search of the residence of Turinawe in Manyangwa, in Gayaza road to establish whether she actually doesn’t have prohibited military weapons.

A source says that they went back to Turinawe’s home because she did not cooperate well with the police during the first search. A source says that the police had her keys which they picked from her before she was remanded to Luzira.

By James Okello

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Otunnu threatens to drag Uganda police officers to court over kidnap

Gerald Businge — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:05:18 +0000

The President of Uganda peoples’ Congress (UPC), Dr. Olara Otunnu has threatened to drag Uganda police officers to court over kidnap of one of their party member, Robert Kanusu.

Kanusu, who is also the Press Secretary of the UPC President, was arrested last Saturday in Jinja district of Eastern Uganda by Uganda police for allegedly saying that the government of Uganda is behind human sacrifice activities in the country.

UPC President, Olara Otunnu

Kanusu who was talking on Apex FM radio show also pinned the Uganda government on human rights abuses in North Eastern Uganda region of Karamoja and corruption in Uganda NSSF.

Otunnu who is also a former United Nations Undersecretary for Children Affairs challenged Uganda police to produce Kanusu in court if he has a case to answer.

In a media statement seen by Ultimate Media today (1^st June 2010), Otunnu insists that Uganda police is responsible for increased cases of human sacrifice in the country because of its failure to stamp out the practice.

Uganda government is increasingly arresting and intimidating Uganda opposition politicians for criticizing the ruling NRM government headed by president Museveni as the country prepares for the coming 2011 elections.

Walakira Nyanzi, Ultimate Media

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