HRCU WEEKLY HRDS UPDATES ISSUE NO-16 OF 2021
HRCU
WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.16 OF 2021
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)
WEEKLY
UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN THE HUMAN RIGHTS
DEFENDERS' WORKING ENVIRONMENT
ISSUE NO.16
of 2021 |The Week of April 26- May 02, 2021
WELCOME
TO THE MONTH OF MAY
The Human Rights Centre Uganda (HRCU), on 1st May 2021 joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Labour Day. This day was commemorated in appreciation of the daily contribution of workers to national development. It was also used as an occasion to heighten consciousness about the need to protect workers’ rights and remind workers of their responsibilities and obligations.
This year’s
celebrations was commemorated under the theme: “Enhancing Innovation for
Increased Employment Creation and Labour Productivity: A Sustainable COVID-19
Response”.
COVID-19 SITUATION IN UGANDA
GULU RESIDENTS RAISE CONCERNS OVER RAMPANT HOMICIDES IN THE REGION
According to statistics
obtained from police in Aswa river region, a total of 366 homicide cases were
registered in Acholi sub region in a period of 15 months. Out of those cases,
301 were from January to December 2020, while 65 were recorded from January to
March this year.
According to the Police
Annual Crime report of 2020, a total of 4,460 homicide cases were registered in
2020 compared to 4,718 registered in 2019.
Gulu residents raise concerns over rampant homicides in the region (independent.co.ug)
KCCA SPEAKER DECLINES TO FILL TWO POSITIONS ON LAND BOARD
The Kampala Capital City
Authority Speaker Abubaker Kawalya has declined to convene a council sitting to
fill positions on the Kampala District Land Board after the Minister for
Kampala vetoed appointment of two members over allegations of fraudulent land
transactions.
Kawalya says there is an
ongoing court matter and if KCCA were to intervene, it would be in contempt of
court and decisions taken could be challenged.
KCCA started the process of
appointing new members of the Land board in 2020 after the tenure of the former
board expired. The names were received by the City Executive Committee chaired
by the Lord Mayor for consideration before forwarding to the council for
approval.
However, as the process was ongoing, a citizen identified as Anatolius Byakora went to court challenging the names submitted to KCCA. The applicant hence sought a court injunction staying status quo meaning that no appointments were to be made until the main application is heard.
LAWYERS
PETITION COURT CHALLENGING POLICE’S PREVENTIVE DETENTION
Two lawyers have petitioned
the Constitutional Court challenging section 24 (2) of the Police Act which gives
police officers powers of indefinite preventive arrest and detention of any
person without fair trial.
The lawyers Anne Tendo and Alex Martin Tusiime, both human rights advocates working with the Network for Public Interest Lawyers -NETPIL want the court to declare that the said section is inconsistent with several articles of the constitution.
Lawyers petition court challenging police's preventive detention (independent.co.ug)
KYAGULANYI:
I WON’T NEGOTIATE WITH MUSEVENI TO FREE OUR PEOPLE
The president of the
National Unity Platform-NUP, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has said that he has no
intentions of negotiating with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the release
of his supporters who were arrested last year.
It’s exactly four months
since security forces rounded up and arrested members of Kyagulanyi’s campaign
team while in Kalangala district where he had gone to look for votes ahead of
the presidential election in January 2021.
Speaking at his party headquarters in Kamwokya where prayers had been organized for NUP supporters who have died in the ‘struggle’ and those in prison, Kyagulanyi said that he is increasingly coming under pressure from the relatives of those in detention to talk to the government in order for them to be released.
KYAGULANYI: I won't negotiate with Museveni to free our people (independent.co.ug)
MWESIGWA
RUKUTANA ACQUITTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES
State Minister for Labor
Mwesigwa Rukutana has been acquitted of all charges stemming from a shooting
incident in the just concluded campaigns. He was facing seven counts of
attempted murder, threatening violence and malicious damage to property.
Rukutana was arrested with three of his bodyguards from his home in Kagugu in Rushenyi county, a day after the National Resistance Movement-NRM party primaries on September 4, 2020. He had been accused of shooting Dan Rweburingi, his rivals’ agent and damaging property among others.
Mwesigwa Rukutana acquitted of attempted murder charges (independent.co.ug)
MUSEVENI
REOPENS DEBATE ON NSSF MIDTERM ACCESS
President Museveni asked
workers and policy makers to further discuss the issue of National Social
Security Fund (NSSF) Amendment Bill 2020 which allowed savers to have midterm
access to their money.
He said he needed to be sure
that allowing access to 20 per cent of accumulated savings and interest by NSSF
savers will not affect the percentages of interest that the body offers
savers.
The President was speaking
in light of the amendment Bill to the NSSF Act that Parliament passed and is
before him for signing, which provides, among others, that savers, who clock 45
years and have saved for at least 10 years, access 20 per cent of their
savings.
NORTHERN LEADERS URGE GOVT ON TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE POLICY
Leaders from northern
Uganda have asked government to expedite the implementation process of the
transitional justice policy, saying it is the only plan that will move people
of northern Uganda from recovery stage to development.
The transitional justice
policy is a government overreaching framework designed to address justice,
accountability and reconciliation needs of post-conflict Uganda.
Speaking at a national dialogue on fast-tracking implementation of the policy in northern Uganda in Kampala on Friday, Mr Ambrose Olaa, the Acholi Cultural Institution prime minister, said they want the policy to be passed soon because it will help them mitigate the impacts of conflicts and give them a framework upon which they can deal with future conflicts.
Northern leaders urge govt on transitional justice policy - Daily Monitor
GOV’T PROCURES 120 HECTARES TO CONSTRUCT OFFICES FOR ALL MINISTRIES IN
BWEBAJJA
Ministry of
Finance, Planning and Economic Development has told the Budget Committee of
Parliament that government has procured 120 hectares of land in Bwebajja along
Entebbe road where they will construct offices for all ministries.
Appearing
before the Budget committee of Parliament, the ministers from the Ministry of
Finance, Matia Kasaija and David Bahati said once the construction is done,
government will save Shs 196 billion that is being spent on renting government
offices annually.
GOV’T DROPS OTT; INTRODUCES NEW TAX ON DATA BUNDLES
Parliament has finally
dropped the payment of Over the Top Services (OTT) tax after passing the Excise
Duty (Amendment) Bill 2021.
On Thursday,
the bill which was passed repealed the article in the Excise Duty Act which
required Ugandans to pay shs200 daily as OTT tax so as to be able to access
social media platforms including Whats App, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
among others.
However, in
the bill passed, a new 12% Excise duty on was introduced on internet bundles. According
to the Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill 2021, a 12% tax will be levied on all
internet data, save for that meant for research, educational and medical
purposes.
UBC JOURNALIST SHOT DEAD ON RETURN FROM BURIAL OF BROTHER WHO WAS
KIDNAPPED
Police in
Uganda is investigating circumstances under which Robert Kagolo, a journalist
attached to Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) was shot dead on Thursday
evening.
Kagolo, a
former president of the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) was returning from
the burial of his brother who was kidnapped and killed last week.
According to
a statement from the police, the murder by shooting of Kagolo took place at
around 8:00 pm at Bugembegembe, Nansana in Wakiso District following a brief
confrontation with Local Defence Unit (LDU) officers.
PUBLIC OFFICERS URGED TO DECLARE THEIR WEALTH OR POVERTY BY JULY
All public officers have been asked to submit their declarations of their income, assets and liabilities to the Inspector General of Government ( IGG) by July 23 2021. This comes shortly after the enactment of the Leadership Code (Amendment) Act, 2021. In a statement seen by the Nile Post, the minister of state for Ethics and Integrity, Simon Lokodo, said that this Act, when it was still a Bill, was passed by Parliament on 18th March 2021.
“It will be
published as the Leadership Code (Amendment) Act, 2021, and its date of
commencement is the 23rd day of April, 2021,”he said.
A public
officer is defined in the Act as any person holding or acting in any public
office and this is irrespective of their rank.
“SECURITY IS FANNING FEAR AHEAD OF MUSEVENI SWEARING-IN,” SAYS UYD
Placards
displayed by security about plans to disrupt President Museveni’s swearing-in
ceremony, are a concoction by sections of security forces, the Uganda Youth
Democrats(UYD) said.
The remarks
came shortly after the UPDF vowed to crush anyone who tries to block President
Museveni’s swearing-in for the sixth term.
Security
claimed that a South African based pressure group, “Time is Now” has threatened
to block the ceremony.
Speaking to
the journalists in Kampala, Ismail Kirya, the UYD president,said that some of
the placards could be a concoction by sections of the security forces who
ascribe sectarian motives to those who oppose dictatorship and corruption in
our country.
"Security
is fanning fear ahead of Museveni swearing-in," says UYD - Nile Post
CONCLUSION
The Human Rights Centre Uganda (HRCU) joins the rest of the world to extend sincere appreciation to the journalists in Uganda who work extensively to inform, educate and entertain the nation. As we commemorate World Press Freedom Day on 3rd May, 2021, we call upon all stakeholders to respect rights of journalists as Human Rights Defenders and work together as partners in the promotion of human rights.
Great
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this effort.
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