ISSUE NO.3/2021: HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN HRDS' WORKING ENVIRONMENT
WEEKLY UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS’ WORKING ENVIRONMENT
ISSUE NO.3/2021 | The Week of Monday 18th to Sunday 24th January, 2021
INTRODUCTION
HRCU welcomes you back from the 35th commemoration of Uganda’s Liberation Day that is observed annually on 26th January. This is the day the National Resistance Movement (NRM) took power/leadership of Uganda and is a public holiday that gives Ugandans an opportunity to reflect on the key achievements of the NRM government and think of areas that still need to be attended to make the Pearl of Africa a better place to live in.
HRCU continues to research, document and share information touching the working environment of human rights defenders in Uganda. Please note that for purposes of avoiding flooding you with so much information, a few news items are documented in this brief. The sources and links provided herein may lead you to more detailed stories and further information about what is happening within the operating environment.
Below is what was compiled for the week ended Sunday January 24, 2021:
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COVID-19 UPDATE IN UGANDA
There are currently 39,261 recorded cases of COVID-19 infections in Uganda with 318 deaths and 14,051 recoveries.
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uganda/
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UGANDA DECIDES: ELECTION OF DISTRICT/CITY CHAIRPERSONS, LORD MAYORS, MAYORS AND COUNCILLORS
The week of Monday January 18-24, 2021 had some spill overs of anxiety spreading from the previous week where the Presidential and Parliamentary elections had been held. The week also saw the election of City Mayors and District Chairpersons. It was reported that there was a low turn up of voters as compared to the previous week’s elections. Municipality Chairpersons and Councillors would be elected on Monday January 25, 2021 and the voting cycle is planned to be completed on February 3, 2021 with the election of Suncounty/Town/Municipa Division chairpersons and councillors.
RIGHT TO FAIR HEARING | ELECTION PETITIONING: GO TO COURT IF YOU CONTEST POLL RESULTS, SAYS KAZIIMBA
Church of Uganda Archbishop Dr Stephen Kaziimba asked election losers who contested the results to seek remedies in court. “Let us keep peace and in case of any disagreement with the results, go to court and present your case or report to God to decide your issue,” Archbishop Kaziimba said yesterday while preaching at a service at his Namirembe residence in Kampala City.
President Museveni, the National Resistance Movement candidate, was declared winner of the January 14 presidential elections followed by Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, of National Unity Platform.
The head of the Anglican Church in Uganda asked the citizens to forgive each other and resume their work after elections. “For those who failed to go through, it is not the end of life, it does not mean that you are useless. There is another calling for you to serve elsewhere. Just go back and do your homework and prepare for another time,” Dr. Kaziimba preached. He appealed to the winners to desist from revenge but instead serve the electorate irrespective of their political or religious differences.
Source: Daily Monitor, Monday January 18, 2021:
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ELECTION AFTERMATH: GOV’T BLAMES NRM BUGANDA LOSS TO CATHOLIC CHURCH, MENGO MEDDLING
The Minister for Presidency, Esther Mbayo has asked the Catholic Church and Buganda Kingdom to stick to their core roles instead of meddling in politics. “Everybody should concentrate on what they are supposed to do. If you are the church concentrate on that, and if you are a politician, concentrate on that. If you want to join politics, put off the robes and come,” said Mbayo.
Mbayo made the remarks while addressing journalists on Friday January 22, 2021 about the 35th National Resistance Movement (NRM) and National Resistance Army (NRA) Victory Day celebration to take place at State House Entebbe on 26th January. She said the Buganda kingdom officials had been urging voters to only pick leaders ‘who have Buganda’s interest at heart’. Following the poor performance of the NRM in Kampala for Presidential and MP polls, President Museveni said in a televised national address that the voting had been sectarian.
Source: The Independent, Friday January 22, 2021:
https://www.independent.co.ug/govt-blames-nrm-buganda-loss-on-sectarianism/
KAMPALA CITY MAYORAL RACE: WHY LUKWAGO BEAT NUP WAVE TO WIN KAMPALA VOTE
Incumbent Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was re-elected for the third time to lead the capital City for the next five years. After seeing how the National Unity Platform (NUP) party candidates in the presidential and parliamentary elections swept the Kampala vote the previous week, Mr. Lukwago expected a tough ride in the Local Government elections on Wednesday 20th January 2021.
However, he was handed a surprise trust after receiving 194,592 votes against the NUP candidate Nabilah Naggayi’s 60,082 votes in the polls whose final results were declared yesterday. Mr. Lukwago beat Ms. Naggayi by a difference of 134,510 votes. Whereas voters in all the five divisions of Kampala District (Nakawa, Makindye, Kawempe, Kampala Central and Rubaga Division) mostly voted NUP candidates as lord councillors, they instead voted Mr. Lukwago of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) for the Lord Mayor seat, suggesting they have more trust in him than in the NUP flag bearer.
Source: Daily Monitor Friday January 22, 2021:
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/why-lukwago-beat-nup-wave-to-win-kampala-vote-3265568
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THE RIGHT TO ACCESS INFORMATION | INTERNET FREEDOMS: UGANDA ELECTION: INTERNET RESTORED BUT SOCIAL MEDIA BLOCKED
Ugandans are celebrating the resumption of internet services after a shutdown was imposed ahead of last week's election. However, social media platforms remain blocked and are only accessible using Virtual Private Networks (VPN). President Yoweri Museveni, who won an unprecedented sixth term in office, had accused the platforms of being biased. Bobi Wine, presidential candidate for the opposition National Unity Platform, alleged the poll was marred by fraud.
Source: BBC News, Monday January 18, 2021:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55705404
GOVERNMENT THREATENS TO ARREST VPN USERS
Government on Thursday January 21, 2021 warned Ugandans using Virtual Private Networks (VPN) that it has acquired capacity to monitor and switch off the sites of the VPN service providers.
Government also said they will hunt down those who have already installed the application on their mobile phones and arrest them.
Ugandans first ventured into the VPN venture during the 2016 General Election when government switched off social media sites on account that they could be used to incite post-election violence.
Since then, VPN has become popular and further gained ground when government also introduced social media tax, commonly known as Over The Top Tax (OTT) in 2018.
Mr Peter Ogwang, the State minister for ICT and National Guidance, yesterday warned VPN users and revealed that all is set to block them.
“Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has already acquired gadgets and capacity to switch off all he VPN websites and those who have been hiding under the VPN will have nowhere to [hide], but to pay the taxes,” Mr Ogwang said.
Source: Daily Monitor, Friday January 22, 2021:
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/government-threatens-to-arrest-vpn-users-3265618
THE QUEST FOR FREEDOM: UGANDA: WINE DETENTION FOR HIS PROTECTION; LAWYER ARGUES OTHERWISE
Lawyers representing Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, asked court to order his release from a week-long de facto house arrest. State security had prevented anyone from entering or leaving Wine's home since he alleged fraud in the previous week's re-election of President Yoweri Museveni.
State prosecutors said that Wine's family members could come and go as they pleased and that the detention was for his protection, a claim denounced by the opposition and rights activists.
Source: Voice of America (VOA) News, Thursday January 21, 2021:
https://www.voanews.com/africa/uganda-wine-detention-his-protection-lawyer-argues-otherwise
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS: US PRESIDENT INAUGURATION:
BIDEN KICKS OFF TERM WITH EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND PRIME-TIME CELEBRATION
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the first woman and the first woman of color to serve in the role, swore in the Rev. Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff and Alex Padilla as U.S. senators. A prime-time event, hosted by Tom Hanks, commemorated the new administration and featured an array of stars.
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday January 20, 2021, taking office at a moment of profound economic, health and political crises with a promise to seek unity after a tumultuous four years that tore at the fabric of American society.
Source: The New York Times, Thursday January 21, 2021:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/20/us/biden-inauguration
Thank you so much for the weekly update
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