HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE | ISSUE NO.8 OF 2021

 

THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)

WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN UGANDA AMIDST PREVALENCE OF COVID-19

ISSUE NO.8 OF 2021 | THE WEEK OF MARCH 1^ST – 7^TH MARCH, 2021

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the second week of March, 2021.

Today March 8, 2021, Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate and celebrate International Women’s Day under the theme “Choose to Challenge” that reminds women to be responsible for their thoughts and actions every day and challenge gender bias and inequality in the world. In Uganda and other parts of the world, the adopted theme was “Women in Leadership: Achieving and Equal Future in a COVID-19 World.”

HRCU’s Executive Director, Board and staff share warm thoughts and wish all women in Uganda and around the world a joyous commemoration. Special thanks to women human rights defenders (WHRDs) who have championed the fight for human rights promotion and protection especially for the vulnerable populations.

Below are some of the human rights and emerging issues through the week of March 1-7, 2021.

UPDATE ON COVID-19 IN UGANDA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

At the time of compiling this update, Uganda had a cumulative total of 40,464 COVID-19 cases, 334 deaths and 15,064 recoveries. This means that within a space of one week or from last week and building up from the previous week ended 28^th February 2021, there were 107 new cases, no deaths and 404 recoveries.

 Source (s): https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uganda/ and https://www.health.go.ug/covid/

AFRICAN WOMEN LESS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 - WHO REPORT

Women are slightly less susceptible to COVID-19 infections and deaths than men according to a preliminary analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) carried out in 28 African countries. The analysis based on gender-sensitive COVID-19 epidemiological data provided by countries, reveals that women account for around 41 per cent of COVID-19 cases, but with variations ranging from 31 per cent to Niger to 57 per cent in South Africa. In most countries, women are slightly less likely to die from COVID-19 than men.

Please read more details from: The Observer, Friday March 5, 2021: https://www.observer.ug/news/headlines/68720-african-women-less-affected-by-covid-19-who-report

HUNDREDS OF FAKE COVID-19 VACCINES SEIZED IN SOUTH AFRICA, INTERPOL SAYS

On Thursday March 4, 2021, South African police seized hundreds of fake COVID-19 vaccines and arrested four suspects in connection with the haul, the Interpol global police co-ordination agency said. This came after Interpol, which is headquartered in France, issued a global alert in December to law enforcement across its 194 member countries, warning them to prepare for organized crime networks targeting COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online.

Some 400 ampoules - equivalent to about 2,400 doses - containing the fake vaccine were found at a warehouse in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, where officers also recovered a large quantity of fake 3M masks, the agency said on Wednesday on its website. Three Chinese nationals and a Zambian national were arrested.

Source and more details: VOA News, Thursday March 4, 2021: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/hundreds-fake-covid-19-vaccines-seized-south-africa-interpol-says

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEVELOPS THREE-YEAR PLAN TO HARMONIZE SCHOOL CALENDAR

The Ministry of Education and Sports has designed a three-year education institutions’ calendar that will guide schools to recover the lost time and also harmonize the normal school calendar and academic year schedules.

Uganda’s academic year normally runs from February to November with the school calendar covering 260 days of curricula and co-curricular activities, assessment, and national examinations. Under this arrangement, the system leaves out 104 days for holidays. However, due to the closure of schools as a safety measure to control the spread of the Corona virus (COVID-19), the school calendar was affected and the ministry has been planning means to adopt and ensuring continuity of learning.

Under the new school calendar, each term will be running for at least 12 weeks with holidays fixed around 15 to 17 days. According to the schedule, the first term of the 2021 academic year will start on August 9, and end on October 29, 2021. Learners will go for a fifteen-day holiday and return for the second term on November 15 studying up to February 4, 2022.

Source and more details: The Independent, Tuesday March 2, 2021: https://www.independent.co.ug/ministry-of-education-develops-three-year-plan-to-harmonize-school-calendar/

Inter-Party Dialogue: IPOD SUMMIT LEAVES PARTIES MORE DIVIDED

The Friday meeting of the leaders of the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) was called as a way to bridge the gap between the warring political groups but, going by what was said there and after the event, it led to even more division.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) had in the past shunned IPOD events attended by President Museveni and attracted scorn for it. This time round, they were joined by the Justice Forum (Jeema) in shunning the IPOD summit. The National Unity Platform (NUP), which is destined to take over as the official Opposition effective May and is guaranteed a seat in IPOD courtesy of being represented in Parliament, has also poured scorn on the Kololo event.

The leader of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Mr. Patrick Oboi Amuriat, and Justice Forum’s (Jeema) Asuman Basalirwa were a no-show at Kololo on Friday, indicating that they had no assurance of the outcomes of the meeting. Mr. Wasswa Biriggwa, the chairperson of FDC, told Sunday Monitor that much as his party appreciates dialogue as one of the ways to solve problems, they will only participate in what he called “principle dialogue”.

Source: Daily Monitor, Sunday March 7, 2021: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/ipod-summit-leaves-parties-more-divided--3314154

Also see: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/parties-disagree-on-ipod-summit-3311880

The Question of Missing Persons: JEJE BRIEFS PARLIAMENT, LISTS ONLY 177 ‘MISSING PERSONS’

The Minister of Internal Affairs Gen. Jeje Odongo handed to Parliament a list of 177 person classified ‘as missing’ by the opposition. The opposition claims there are hundreds more missing. The Government said the 177 were arrested, and are not missing.

“There are 43 persons arrested for participating in the riots, 156 found in possession of military stores, 17 arrested from meetings planning post-election violence, while 6 persons were released on police bond,” Odongo told parliament chaired by Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.

Source and list of the list that was presented: The Independent, Thursday March 4, 2021: https://www.independent.co.ug/jeje-briefs-parliament-lists-only-177-missing-persons/

The Presidential Petition Update: SUPREME COURT OKAYS BOBI WINE TO WITHDRAW PETITION CHALLENGING MUSEVENI VICTORY

The Supreme Court on Friday March 5, 2021 allowed the runner-up in the January 14 presidential elections Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine to withdraw his presidential election petition seeking to overturn the victory of the incumbent President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The decision by a panel of nine Supreme Court Justices led by the Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo follows a concession from all parties to have the matter withdrawn.

In their brief ruling read by Justice Stella Arach Amoko, the Justices noted that upon careful consideration of the application, the authorities attached to it and arguments from both parties and after reading the law, the leave to withdraw the petition had been granted. Justice Arach added that the question of costs which have been a key issue of contention in the hearing was going to be determined in their judgment which would be on notice. 

Source and more details: Daily Monitor, Friday March 5, 2021: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/supreme-court-okays-bobi-wine-to-withdraw-petition-challenging-museveni-victory-3312948

Also see: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/68713-kyagulanyi-petition-withdrawal-flops-his-lawyers-have-no-practising-certificates

The Quest for Justice: HIGH COURT DECLINES TO HEAR BAIL APPLICATION OF 36 ARMY-JAILED NUP SUPPORTERS

The High court declined to hear the bail application for 36 supporters National Unity Platform (NUP) party supporters who are battling charges of illegal possession of military stores in the Army General Court Martial. The suspects are part of 49 NUP supporters who were arrested during the campaign trail of the former NUP Presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu in Kalangala district in December last year. They appeared before the Masaka Chief Magistrate after spending three days in custody, which granted them bail.

However, they were re-arrested and presented before the Court Martial for illegal possession of ammunition. On February 5, 2021, the Army court chaired by Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti declined to release the accused on bail on grounds that they would continue perpetrating acts of violence once released. The accused’s lawyers led by George Musisi filed another bail application in the High court on a number of grounds. They argued that bail is a constitutional right and that the accused had substantial sureties and permanent places of residence, which fall within the jurisdictions of the High court.

However, the deputy registrar of the Criminal Division of High court, Festo Nsenga wrote to the suspects’ lawyer saying that they were unable to entertain their application.

Source and more details: The Observer, Saturday March 6, 2021: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/68741-high-court-declines-to-hear-bail-application-of-36-army-jailed-nup-supporters

Caution to Vehicle Drivers: OLD TRAFFIC FINES TO MOVE TO NEW DRIVING PERMITS

All drivers with penalties on the existing computerised driver’s licences will have them transferred to the new permits under the Uganda Driver Licensing System (UDLS), government has announced. Speaking at the launch of UDLS, which will print the new driving permits at Uganda Railways Corporation headquarters in Kampala yesterday, the commissioner for Transport and Road Safety at the Ministry of Works, Mr. Winstone Katushabe, reasoned that the move is purposed to instil strong discipline among motorists.

Under the newly introduced point demerit system, repeat offenders will either have licences cancelled or recalled. Once recalled or cancelled, a motorist with a higher class of licence will have to undergo a fresh application procedure to get another one.

Source and details via: Daily Monitor, Tuesday March 2, 2021: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/old-traffic-fines-to-move-to-new-driving-permits--3308948

International News

IMPUNITY FOR KILLINGS OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS REMAINS A KEY DRIVER FOR MORE MURDERS, SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS TELLS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

The Human Rights Council on Friday morning started an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. It also concluded its interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Special Rapporteur on protecting human rights while countering terrorism.

Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said that in 2019, at least 281 human rights defenders, including 38 women human rights defenders, had been killed in 35 countries, and unless radical action was taken the killings would continue.

Impunity for killings remained a key driver for more murders. Since it began 20 years ago, this mandate had cited the issue of impunity more than 30 times in recommendations to United Nations Member States, and had repeatedly noted how a failure to properly prosecute perpetrators fuelled further killings. But impunity persisted, and the murders continued.

Source: RelefWeb: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/impunity-killings-human-rights-defenders-remains-key-driver-more-murders-special  

CONCLUSION

This update ends with a statement by UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders when that is: States should not only end impunity but also publicly applaud the vital contribution that human rights defenders made to help build just societies based on the rule of law.

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