ISSUE NO.25: HRCU WEEKLY [21ST -27TH SEPTEMBER 2020] UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN THE HRDS' WORKING ENVIRONMENT
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 PREVALENCE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The Week of 21st – 27thSeptember 2020
Issue No. 25INTRODUCTION
The working environment of human rights defenders remains engulfed in a series of issues and concerns. For instance, during the week of 21st to 27th September, various issues ranging from sexual and gender based violence, limitation of the right to education, land disputes and matters related to the electoral process were documented as indicated below.
LATEST UPDATES ON COVID-19 IN UGANDA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD
The COVID-19 infection rates remain high, with chunks of cases reported on a daily basis. By 27th September 2020, the cumulative number of cases in Uganda rose to 7,777 with 75 deaths and 4,033 cumulative recoveries in Uganda.
https://covid19.gou.go.ug/statistics.html
As the COVID-19 cases of infection, more strategies need to be implemented against the rapid spread of the virus. On Thursday 24th September 2020, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni while addressing journalists after the COVID-19 national task force meeting held at State House Entebbe stated that the COVID-19 donation funds will be used to procure 282 double cabin pick-ups for use in the fight against the pandemic, which had already claimed 71 lives in the country. Each district shall receive two vehicles of which some will work on border points for receiving people returning from across neighbouring countries, and part of the fund, totaling over sh29b will be used to upgrade two blood banks of Arua and Soroti.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527938/coronavirus-funds-procure-vehicles-upgrade-blood-banks
Furthermore, because of the high costs of purchasing testing kits, Mr. Olaro stated that the tests will only be limited to people who show signs and symptoms of the virus. He then emphasized that if one is a contact and has no signs or met the test definition; the person shall not undergo testing.
The final year students and candidates who have been allowed to resume studies on October 15, will not be tested for COVID-19. He said this on Friday 25th September, at the ministry headquarters in Kampala, after receiving a donation of 1,920 pieces of test kits and 10,020 pieces of medical face masks from Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC), which is involved in the design of the expressway.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527912/cases-covid-19-signs-tested
Nevertheless, in reference to Sub Saharan region in general, a research study from Brazzaville (the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo indicated that the COVID-19 transmissions in Africa have been on the decline over the past two months. Over the past four weeks, 77,147 new cases were reported, down from 131,647 recorded in the previous four weeks. But Dr. Moeti advised that, “The response in African countries needs to be tailored to each country’s situation. Targeted and localized responses that are informed by what works best in a given region of a country will be most crucial as countries ease restrictions and open up their economies.
https://www.afro.who.int/news/social-environmental-factors-seen-behind-africas-low-covid-19-cases
Globally, by 25th September 2020, the World Health Organisation reported that 32,110,656 COVID-19 cases were confirmed and 980,031 deaths recorded.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER EMERGING ISSUES THAT DEVELOPED IN THE COURSE OF THE WEEK
SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (SGBV)
Sexual and Gender Based Violence remains one of the most prominent violations in Uganda as several girls, women and children including men are sexually and physically harassed by the perpetrators. On 26th September, an application, dubbed SafePal, was launched by the State minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Florence Nakiwala, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative Alain Sibenaler. The application development was supported by the Global Fund, the Ministry of Health and UNFPA.
Commissioner of youth and children at the gender ministry Fred Ngabirano said that through a mobile application and an interactive voice response (IVR) system, survivors or their friends will be able to report cases of abuse confidentially into the system. The service providers include the Police, civil society organisations, district local government authorities and safe shelters managers.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527941/govt-launches-application-report-gender-violence
THE ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTIVISTS APPEAL FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE ANTI-CORRUPTION ACT 2009
The anti-corruption activists have called upon government to amend the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 to among others adopt non-conviction based asset recovery regime. According to Dr. Dan Ngabirano from Makerere University School of Law, conviction based asset recovery imposes an unrealistic and unreasonably high degree of proof on the prosecution and makes it difficult to recover property obtained using proceeds of corruption.
Dr. Ngabirano made the remarks while presenting a draft report on the assessment of the status of implementation of the Act at a breakfast meeting organized by the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda at Hotel Africana Kampala on Thursday September 24th, 2020.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527879/activists-amendment-anti-corruption-act
THE ROAD TO 2021: NATIONAL UNITY PARTY (NUP) IN COURT
Court was told that the Electoral Commission was duped to approve minutes and resolutions indicating that a delegate’s conference had been conducted and Robert Kyagulanyi elected as the new leader of National Unity Platform (NUP).
Paul Simbwa, the former Secretary-General of National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party-NURP said that during cross-examined before the High Court Civil Division on how the party leadership changed hands from its former leader Moses Kibalama Nkonge to Kyagulanyi.
Simbwa appeared before Justice Musa Ssekaana, the deputy head of the civil division of High Court in a case filed by two members of NURP, Difas Basile and Hassan Twaha who were aggrieved by the said transfer of ownership and change of names.
Simbwa told the court that he and Kibalama forged minutes and resolutions approving Kyagulanyi and his current leadership. He said that instead, he, Kibalama, Kyagulanyi and Winston Kigozi, the treasurer of NURP, sat in Kakiri, Wakiso district and forged the delegates’ conference minutes for submission to the Electoral Commission for approval. Simbwa told the court that they had limited time to make changes as the electoral process was coming closer.
In response, the current leader of NUP Robert Kyagulanyi talked to the press after the court session, claiming that Kibalama had been tortured.
https://www.independent.co.ug/electoral-commission-was-duped-to-approve-nup-formation/
NATURAL DISASTERS: FLOODS IN IBANDA DISTRICT
Seven people asserted to come from one family were reported to be nursing injuries and hundreds left homeless after a heavy down pour resulted into floods ravaging four villages in Ibanda district on Thursday 24th September 2020. The affected villages are all located in Kyaruhanga ward in Kagongo division, Ibanda Municipality.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527913/injured-property-destroyed-ibanda-floods
MAKERERE UNIVERSITY MAIN BUILDING FIRE INVESTIGATIONS
Security
sources revealed that six people were last seen at the iconic building,
according to the CCTV footage. The identities of the six people were analysed
and believed to be university employees attached to the offices that were
affected. Police remained tight lipped on their identities. In addition, there
have been ongoing probes linked to projects under the finance office at the
university by the Police's Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID).
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527690/makerere-captured-cctv-entering-building
FORMER KAMPALA MAYOR, AL HAJI NASSER NTEGE SEBAGGALA “SEYA” DEAD
The family confirmed his death in a telephone call from New Vision. "I know why you are calling. It is true. Hajji has died," a member of the family said before breaking into tears. His brother and Kawempe North MP, Latif Sebaggala, also confirmed the death. He died from a stomach complication, a condition diagonised as intussusception.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527924/former-kampala-mayor-sebaggala-dead
THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Following the President’s directive on 20th September to open schools for the finalist/candidate classes to resume studying, Mr. Hassadu Kirabira, the National Private Educational Institutions Association (NPEIA) Kampala representative, stated that at least 200 private schools will not reopen in October due to accumulated rent arrears in the last six months.
State Minister for Higher Education Chrysostom Muyingo told Parliament that private schools that cannot meet the standard operating procedures (SOPs) will not reopen. In his submission, Dr. Muyingo said while they will provide masks to all candidates, government does not have money to bail out private schools in implementing the SOPs.
This may imply that very many students/pupils shall not resume school because of the challenges experienced by the different private schools. He, however, said that the government shall buy washing facilities, temperature guns, spray pumps and disinfectants for the public schools using capitation grants. There will also be inspection of all schools before the term begins.
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/covid-200-schools-will-not-reopen--2371290
THE RIGHT TO PROPERTY: LAND DISPUTES IN MITYANA
Elderly persons in Mityana seek help over land disputes that have become rampant in the area and have left many implicated in criminal offences. The elderly have in the recent past weeks accused the Police of criminalising land matters, to the extent that many are facing charges such as malicious damage and criminal trespass.
Abraham Luwalira, the chairperson of the Uganda Bibanja Holders Association, said that they were asking the Police to be careful while handling such cases and desist from arresting persons before investigations especially if someone had lived on the kibanja for over 50 years.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1527947/land-wrangles-organisations-save-mityana-elderly
CONCLUSION
HRCU remains committed to the documentation of various issues that have an impact on the working environment of HRDs in Uganda, and appeals to all stakeholders to join hands in advocating for a better environment where respect for human rights and freedoms are given priority.
All HRDs and citizens of Uganda are urged to support the fight against COVID-19 by taking all the necessary precautions against the virus which had so far claimed over 70 lives in Uganda.
https://www.afro.who.int/news/surviving-covid-19-and-fighting-stigma-uganda
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