WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT OF HRDS IN UGANDA: Issue 19
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)
WEEKLY UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN UGANDA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Issue No.19: The Week of 10th – 16th August, 2020
Introduction
The working environment of HRDs is currently dominated by the political sphere as the country draws towards the 2021 general elections. There have been confirmed reports of a number of politicians crossing to different political parties with the highlight being on those who crossed from Democratic Party (DP) and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to National Unity Platform (NUP).
Latest updates on Covid-19 cases in Uganda and the rest of the world
On 14th August, the Ministry of Health (MOH) urged politicians to respect Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) that include wearing of facemasks consistently, using sanitizers, and respecting physical distancing as they engage the citizens in discussions in the lead up to the 2021 campaigns. The warning by Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng came in after a politician in Kampala tested positive for Corona virus Disease. The other confirmed cases of aspiring politicians are from Bushenyi and Mbale districts and are currently receiving treatment in different facilities.
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Human rights defenders (HRDs) and all citizens should not take COVID-19 lightly following a report on 13thAugust, where Health experts in Uganda predicted an increase in the need for lung rehabilitation in the aftermath of the disease. Dr Bruce Kirenga, the Director, Uganda Lung Institute says that while Uganda has largely had mild cases of the respiratory disease, many of those that are testing positive will suffer lung damage that will be difficult to treat, requiring lung rehabilitation services which are quite rare in Uganda. Kirenga who has also conducted Uganda’s first study on COVID-19 said they are now designing a low-cost intervention that will help improve the quality of life of people with severe lung damage.
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On 15th August, Uganda confirmed 49 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to a record 60 in two days following Friday’s highest of 32. The cumulative total confirmed cases of Ugandans are now 1,434 and deaths registered at 13.
Follow link below:
https://www.independent.co.ug/covid-19-uganda-announces-49-new-cases-as-deaths-rise-to-13/
In other parts of the world, 936,062 cases were registered and a total of 18,286 deaths. Globally, there were 21,026,758 were registered and total of 755,786 deaths.
Reference:
Additionally, it is important to note that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is now intensely focused on shepherding global vaccine candidates through the necessary trials. Among them, the Access to COVID19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, launched in April, has shown results, according to WHO Director-General Tedros AdhanomGhebreyesus, with nine vaccine candidates in the COVAX portfolio now advancing through Phase 2 or 3 trials.
For more information read:
https://www.independent.co.ug/who-intensely-focused-on-global-covid-19-vaccine-trials/
SOME KEY HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES THAT DEVELOPED IN THE COURSE OF THE WEEK
The Road to 2021: The Campaign against Selective Application of COVID-19 Guidelines
On the 8th of August 2020, the State Minister of Finance for Investment and Privatization, Hon. Ainte Evelyn organised a procession with hundreds of people in her constituency to receive an ambulance she had donated to the community. The procession violated every SOP that the Government had put in place to regulate political activity in the pandemic.
On the 9th of August 2020, a spontaneous gathering in Koboko Municipality began to coalesce in protest to the selective application of the COVID-19 rules which seem to allow Anite and her supporters’ free rein in political activity without consequence, but limit other political actors in the region from doing the same.
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The Criminal Investigations Department therefore summoned Koboko Municipality MP Evelyn Anite to explain processions of her supporters in Koboko municipality on the weekend. Mr Livingstone Sewanyana, ED Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI)said that the police must act in a manner that gives confidence to all that the law applies to each equally.
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Support to Gender Based Violence Victims (GBV)
Women in Development (WiD) are organizing a sceintifc fundraising drive to construct shelters for GBV victims. Women in Development is a community based women's led organisation basically doing witness protection, GBV intervention, doing watching briefs in court and economically empowering women with skills among others. They have received so many victims of GBV in the last four months, a lot of these women face death threats every day, and some have lost their lives to GBV and some cases are still in courts. The organisation believes a shelter needs to be constructed as soon as possible during this pandemic challenge of COVID-19.
More information about how to support this cause may be received from National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders in Uganda (NCHRDU)
Civic voter education still lacking ahead of 2021 elections
On Tuesday, August 11, 2020, the Electoral Commission conducted elections for Village Older Persons’ Committees in 68,740 villages, but much as the election exercise went on peacefully across most (83%) of the villages countrywide, new reports indicate many voters were not aware that elections were taking place. Prior to the elections, Electoral Commission issued general guidelines for the nominations of candidates for elections of village older persons’ committees; village youth committees; and village persons with disabilities committee. But revelations unearthed by the over 10,000 observers deployed by the Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) showed that not enough civic voter education was conducted prior to the polls.
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Attack on the Freedom of Worship: Demolition of St. Peter’s Church, Ndeeba
The demolition of St Peter's Church in Ndeeba on Sunday night (9th August 2020), in what was thought to be a long-drawn land conflict, caused a national uproar. Justice Keitirima's ruling of June 6, 2019, partly states that the Church of Uganda trustees fraudulently acquired the land where the church sits, ordering the cancellation of the title that had been in the names of Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga, Rev Y.S Kitaka, and E. Kitaka, who were trustees of Namirembe Diocese on the land.
The President, HE Yoweri Museveni who visited the site on Friday morning said that a negotiation should have been opted for instead of destroying the church. He said that whoever was behind the demolition of St Peter's Church in Ndeeba, Kampala, shall face the full extent of the law. A businessman, Dodovico Mwanje, has been cited as being behind the demolition, laying claim to the land that housed the church. President Museveni addressed the crowd that gathered to catch a glimpse of him.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1524742/ndeeba-church-demolition-punished-museveni
Uganda finally joins Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)
The EITI Board approved Uganda’s application to join the EITI, making it the EITI’s 54th member country and the 26th in Africa. This application was permitted in February 2019 by the Ugandan cabinet to boost investments.
EITI Board Chair, Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, welcomed Uganda to the EITI community, noting that transparency is key to ensuring that potential revenues from oil and gas production are not mismanaged or lost to corruption. EITI implementation will require Uganda to publicly disclose information such as contracts, beneficial owners, revenues and payments, including payments related to the environment. These disclosures can in turn promote public oversight and debate.
https://eiti.org/news/uganda-joins-eiti
Conclusion
There is need for continued advocacy and documentation by all citizens in the promotion and protection of human rights especially as the country draws towards the 2021 general elections amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
HRCU continues to urge HRDs and all citizens not to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19 but follow all the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the Ministry of Health especially now that there are speculations that the disease could cause serious lung damage to the victims.
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