HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.17 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.17 of 2021 |The Week of May 03- May 09, 2021

 The Human Rights Centre Uganda (HRCU) delightfully congratulates all journalists, media houses and all Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) across the country that promote and strive for protection of press freedom and access to information upon reaching the World Press Freedom Day that was marked on 3rd May 2021. As HRCU, our mandate still remains resolute; to work with all stakeholders from both civil society and State Agencies to ensure that the rights and freedoms of journalists are promoted and respected.

COVID-19 SITUATION IN UGANDA

Results of COVID-19 tests done on 08 May 2021 confirm 29 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases are 42,384.

Total number of people vaccinated against COVID-19: 399,746.

https://twitter.com/MinofHealthUG/status/1391662768013680641/photo/1     

DCJ REJECTS PROPOSED INTER-JURISDICTIONAL SESSION HEARINGS TO CLEAR CASE BACKLOG

 The Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera has rejected a proposal by Chief Magistrates in Greater Luwero to organize inter-jurisdictional session hearings to clear the case backlog. According to the case backlog report by Luwero Chief Magistrate’s Court, there are 491 cases as of May 5th 2021. These include 193 cases of land, 225 civil cases and 73 criminal cases.

The Nakasongola Chief Magistrate area has 46 criminal and 16 civil cases including land matters. Samuel Munobe, the Luwero Chief Magistrate says that the case backlog is a result of illiterate litigants who can’t afford to bring witnesses to court, lack of vehicles and funds to visit the contested areas by magistrates. He also cited the frequent transfer of judicial officers, frivolous or unnecessary miscellaneous applications that clog the system leading to case backlog.

Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera declined to inter-jurisdictional session hearings saying they create case backlog at duty stations while the magistrates are away. File Photo

DCJ rejects proposed inter-jurisdictional session hearings to clear case backlog (independent.co.ug)

COURT BLOCKS RETURN OF TOORO KINGDOM ASSETS

High court has issued an interim order blocking the return of Tooro Kingdom properties from central government.  The interim order stems from an application by Twerwaneho Listeners’ Club, a non-governmental organization; Dan Rubombora and Isaac Rabwoni before High court in Fort Portal Tourism City.   

The applicants are accusing the King, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro, the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa and the Attorney General of committing a number of offences including the illegal leasing of Tooro kingdom land and misappropriating the properties of the monarchy. 

According to the complainants, the king and his mother appointed themselves as the principal signatories of the Kingdom bank accounts; an act they say is wrong and raises issues of conflict of interest. Now, court has ordered that the properties should only be returned after the person to manage them has been widely agreed upon.  

Court blocks return of Tooro Kingdom assets (independent.co.ug)

 KONY: ICC SENTENCES DOMINIC ONGWEN TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber IX sentenced former Kony Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen to a total period of imprisonment of 25 years as a joint sentence for the 61 crimes of which he was found guilty.

A summary of the decision was read out in public by Trial Chamber IX composed of Judge Bertram Schmitt (Presiding judge), Judge Péter Kovács and Judge Raul Cano Pangalangan, in the presence of the Ongwen, his defence team, the Legal Representatives of Victims, and the Office of the Prosecutor. Due to COVID-19 restrictions the decision was delivered on a partially virtual basis.

The trial in this case began on December 6, 2016. On 4 February 2021, Trial Chamber IX found Dominic Ongwen guilty for a total of 61 comprising crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in Northern Uganda between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2005.

Ongwen was reportedly the Brigade Commander of the Sinia Brigade of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), at time a warrant of arrest was issued for him in 2005. 

Ongwen in court for the sentencing. PHOTO @IntlCrimCourt

KONY: ICC sentences Dominic Ongwen to 25 years in prison (independent.co.ug)

 PARLIAMENT REJECTS PROPOSAL FOR SPEAKERS VOLUNTARY RESIGNATION

Parliament has rejected a proposal that would provide for the voluntary resignation of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

Clement Obote Ongalo, the chairperson of the Rules, Privileges and Discipline commitee of Parliament had fronted the proposal on grounds that the current Rules of Procedure do not provide for a Speaker or Deputy to voluntarily resign. However, the rules provide for the impeachment of the two leaders. 

Ongalo proposed a raft of amendments including banning campaigns for the Office of the Speaker, relaxing the requirements for one to contest for the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), adminstration of oath, reduction in the number of committees on which each MP sits and increasing the days of sitting of Parliament. 

The Speaker Kadaga and Deputy Speaker Oulanyah

Parliament rejects proposal for speakers voluntary resignation (independent.co.ug)

UGANDA CRIMINALISES HOMOSEXUALITY AGAIN  

Uganda has for the second time within seven years criminalised gay sex and this time imposed a 10-year jail term for convicts.

The new offence and penalties were contained in the report of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee presented to the House, and Members of Parliament scrutinising provisions of the Sexual Offences Bill, 2019, passed them on May 3.

The original version of the Bill sponsored by the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) only imported the Penal Code Act provision on “unnatural offences” and did not expressly criminalise or ban gay or lesbian sex.

However, the enacted Bill in Clause 11 criminalises and bans “penetration of another person’s anus with other person’s sexual organ or with any object and, (ii) sexual acts between persons of the same gender”.

Uganda first criminalised homosexuality and imposed life imprisonment penalty for convicts in 2014 and President Museveni, while signing the anti-gay Act of Parliament into law, said Ugandan scientists had convinced him that homosexuality was an act of nurture, not nature.

Anti-Homosexual activists march on the streets of Kampala carrying placards on August 11, 2014 to demonstrate against the recently annulled Anti-Gay law by Ugandas constitutional court. AFP / Isaac Kasamani

Uganda criminalises homosexuality again   - Daily Monitor

HEALTH WORKERS DEMAND SALARIES, RISK ALLOWANCE

Medical workers at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, who were contracted to handle Covid-19 patients at the height of the pandemic last year, are demanding their salaries and risk allowances.

The health workers at the Covid-19 Treatment Unit (CTU) told Daily Monitor in an interview yesterday that they are demanding risk allowances of more than Shs350 million. Each health worker at CTU is supposed to receive Shs90, 000 per day.

Dr Hussein Hasasha, the coordinator of Mbale CTU, said the health workers have taken more than eight months without getting their risk allowances.

Health workers sanitise floors at Mulago hospital in Kampala. In Mbale health workers are demanding more than Shs350 million risk allowances and salaries. PHOTO | RACHEL MABALA

Health workers demand salaries, risk allowance - Daily Monitor

 DP WANTS LDUS DISARMED OVER MISUSE OF GUNS

The Democratic Party (DP) has called for immediate disarmament of the Local Defence Unit (LDU) officers, saying that they lack training to act professionally with firearms.

Last week, former President of the Uganda Journalist Association (UJA), Robert Kagolo was reportedly gunned down by an LDU officer, adding his name to the list of many Ugandans who have lost their lives at the barrel of guns carried by LDUs.

While addressing journalists on Tuesday, DP Spokesperson Okoler Opio Lo Amanu said that government should consider disarming LDUs, to save lives of innocent citizens.

Okoler said that guns should be a privilege of the Uganda Police and Uganda Peoples Defence Force officers, since these appropriate and enough training that enables them to use firearms professionally.

DP wants LDUs disarmed over misuse of guns - Nile Post

 ‘ANTI-HUMAN SACRIFICE’ BILL 2020 PASSED BY PARLIAMENT

Parliament has passed the long-awaited protection and prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2020, instituting a death penalty to perpetrators.

The bill, once assented to by the president will see anyone who exercises or finances the act of human sacrifice, liable to the death penalty.

To the legislators, the use of human sacrifice is a primitive culture and proprietors should be tried before the court martial.

Speaker Kadaga said families of the victims of human sacrifice have always asked her for justice, and she hopes that the new bill, once signed by President Museveni, will bring justice to the families of those who lose loved ones to

According to the bill, anyone who spreads belief in human sacrifice for financial reward and gain, encouraging any person to use human body parts in any ritual, encourages any person to sacrifice and encouraging another person to do any act prohibited under this bill, will have committed crime.

'Anti-Human Sacrifice' Bill 2020 passed by Parliament - Nile Post

NURSES GO ON STRIKE OVER LUNCH ALLOWANCES

Nurses under their umbrella body the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU), have kicked off a sit-down strike in demand for their daily lunch allowance of shs15,000 promised to them two years ago.

UNMU last year said during celebrations to mark the International Nurses day on May,12,2018 President Museveni promised shs1 billion into their sacco but the same has not materialized.

The nurses and midwives body also said the president at the same function promised to increase their daily allowances from shs2000 they currently get to shs15000.

However, in a May 4, 2021 letter, UNMU president Cherop Justus Kiplangat has asked all nurses, midwives, and nursing assistants in Uganda to put down

Nurses go on strike over lunch allowances - Nile Post

PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA PASSES “SEXUAL OFFENCES BILL” ENHANCING CRIMINALIZATION OF SAME-SEX RELATIONS

On Monday, May 3, 2021, the Parliament of Uganda passed the Sexual Offences Bill 2019. Purportedly the Bill aims to prevent sexual violence, enhance punishment against sexual offenders and provide additional protection for victims. However, it also reinforces and reiterates a ban on same-sex relations codified in the country's Penal Code.  

Same-sex relations have been criminalized in Uganda since British colonial times in sections 145 on “unnatural offenses” and 148 on “indecent practices” of the Penal Code, with a maximum sentence of life in prison foreseen. Clause 11 of the Sexual Offences Bill further confirms this existing criminalization.

Parliament of Uganda Passes “Sexual Offences Bill” Enhancing Criminalization of Same-Sex Relations | OutRight Action International (outrightinternational.org)BI

CONCLUSION

As Moslems across the country prepare to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr as the Holy Month of Ramadan comes to an end, HRCU takes this opportunity to wish all moslems a happy Eid-al-Fitr.