HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.19 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.19 of
2021 |The Week of May 17- May 23, 2021
The week was busy with the swearing in ceremony of 529 newly elected Members of Parliament of the 11th Parliament that will run up to 2026.
The week came to a close with the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) headed by His Exellency Yoweri Kaguta Musevenu nominating Hon. Jacob Oulanyah as the NRM flag bearer for the Speakership race dropping Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga who had showed interest in the position. With rhetorical and sometimes degrading statements issued by both contenders immediately after the parliamentary elections which situation came to a halt with the intervention of the NRM party banning open campaigns for the Speakership position, it is imperative to note that as HRDs, the stakes are high and all stakeholders in the promotion and protection of human rights should keep ablest with the final outcome as the speaker of parliament and the instistution of parliament is a big pillar in ensuring that human rights are respected and promoted.
COVID-19 SITUATION IN UGANDA
POLICE INTENSIFY FIGHT AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Police and
International Development Law Organisation ( IDLO) have held discussions on how
to work together in partnership to deal with Gender Based Violence (GBV) and
violence against children. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Political
Commissar, AIGP Asan Kasingye, at Police headquarters, Naguru.
Kasingye said
a total of only 390 police officers have been trained in 13 districts and
called for training of more police officers across the country.
He said this
will help to appreciate and appropriately apply the guidelines of handling
children in conflict with the law.
Kasingye said
the training equips police officers with knowledge and skills on the existing
legal framework on the rights and protection of children.
He further
explained that the training will enable police officers appreciate the
diversion guidelines and appropriately apply them in their routine duties.
He said by
doing this,it will enhance coordination among police officers and other
stakeholders in the justice system when dealing with children who commit minor
offences in order to strengthen the child protection system.
Uganda has
been witnessing an upsurge in the number of domestic violence cases amid the
financial squeeze caused by Covid-19.
However,
activists said that all the existing legal frame work has not been able to
bring about the much needed justice due to implementation issues.
The former
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has said that the 11th Parliament
owes Ugandans a duty to restore the dignity and reputation of the legislative
arm of government.
According to Oulanyah, Members of
Parliament are no longer respected amongst Ugandans because a lot has gone
wrong, and the public believes that many legislators are self-seekers who only
go to parliament to enrich themselves. ‘This must change,” Oulannyah told journalists
at parliament moments after taking oath as a Member of Parliament for Omoro
County.
Oulannyah says that parliament needs to refocus its priorities and put more emphasis on national interest and perfecting service delivery for the people instead of debating things that don’t hold. He says that anything short of this will water down the relevance of the house to the people of Uganda.
NUP TO CONDUCT PRIMARIES FOR KCCA SPEAKERSHIP SEAT
The National Unity Platform-NUP will next
week conduct primaries for the position of Speaker of Kampala Capital City
Authority-KCCA.
The Speaker,
a position introduced in the KCCA amendment of 2019 is elected by the
councillors to preside over council sittings, pass authority budgets and
conduct an oversight role.
NUP shall be
the dominant party in the next KCCA council with 41 out of the 52 councillors.
The head of
the Party Elections Management Committee Mercy Walukamba says that they will
conduct the primaries on May 26 or 27.
According to Walukamba, five councillors have expressed interest in the speakership position.
UPDF MPS DEFEND ROLE IN PARLIAMENT
Uganda
Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) newly elected representatives in Parliament have
defended their stay in Parliament saying they play a key role in developing
policies related to security.
In January
2021, the UPDF elected 10 representatives in Parliament. They are; General
David Muhoozi, the Chief of Defense Forces, Works Minister, Gen. Edward Katumba
Wamala, the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces, Lt. Gen Wilson Mbadi and Commander
of Land Forces Lt. Gen Peter Elwelu as UPDF representatives in Parliament.
Others
elected are; Lt. Gen James Mugira, the managing director and chief executive
officer of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the Deputy Commander Land
Forces, Maj. Gen Sam Kavuma and the UPDF Chief Political Commissar, Maj. Gen
Henry Matsiko. The female representatives are Colonel Dr. Victor Nekesa, Lt Col
Charity Bainababoand Maj. Dr. Jennifer Alanyo.
However, MPs
and some members of the public have been calling for the removal of army
representatives to Parliament since they are a listening post. However,
led by the CDF David Muhoozi, the Army has said their role is crucial in
Parliament especially when it comes to security matters.
UPDF
MPS defend role in parliament (independent.co.ug)
UPDF MPS defend role in parliament (independent.co.ug)
At least 33 media houses have jointly sued
the government and Kampala Capital City Authority challenging double taxation
on trading licences despite numerous court decisions declaring such actions
illegal.
The media houses are Radio One, Akaboozi,
Radio Simba, Basoga Baino FM, Digida, Buddu FM, Capital Radio, Hot 100.9
FM, Galaxy FM Limited, Signal FM, KFM and Dembe FM, Namirembe FM Limited,
XFM, Bukedde FM, NBS Television, NBS Khodeyo and Open Gate FM.
The others are Power FM, Sanyu FM, Touch
FM, Spice FM, Voice of Kigezi, Super Station Inc Limited, Radio City, Voice of
Toro, Vision Radio, Radio Pacis Liberty FM Limited, Crooze FM, Voice of Kamwenge,
BBS Television, NTV Uganda and Uganda Media Owners Association.
Through their lawyers of Ayigihugu and Company Advocates, the media houses challenged the government for continuing to charge them trading licences for operating in and outside Kampala and running satellite connections. They argue that they already pay licences to the Uganda Communications Commission and subjecting them to another tax tantamount to double taxation.
33 media houses sue gov't for double taxation (independent.co.ug)
MUKONO DISTRICT NUP CHAIRMAN APPOINTS NRM CANDIDATE
TO DEPUTIZE HIM
Mukono
district chairman Rev Peter Bakaluba Mukasa has appointed Asuman Muhumuza, a
member of the National Resistance Movement-NRM, to deputize him as he starts
his term of office under the National Unity Platform.
Bakaluba told the first sitting of the
Mukono district council after the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, that his
vice-chairperson Asuman Muhumuza will mirror representation of NRM supporters
and the Muslim community in the district executive committee.
He explains that much as NUP won the majority positions at the district council, at this particular time when NRM is still steering the central government, harmonization under the local government is vital to guarantee service delivery to locals. The ruling NRM party won only six of the 42 councillor seats in the Mukono district council.
Mukono district NUP chairman appoints NRM candidate to deputize him (independent.co.ug)
GOVT TO GET SHS700BN FROM RENTAL INCOME
TAX EVERY YEAR- EXPERTS
Experts have said government is capable of recouping $200million(approximately
shs713billion) from rental income tax per year.
Parliament recently
amended the Income Tax Amendment Bill to introduce a levy obliging owners of
rental premises to pay 25 per cent of their rental income as tax to government.
Last year, government
through the Ministry of Finance contracted RippleNami, an American technology
company to develop the Rental Tax Compliance System that enables government
integrate data to match real estate properties to their individual or corporate
owners.
The system will enable
government identify individuals or corporations that have been underpaying
their rental income tax obligations.
GOVERNMENT URGED TO NATIONALISE UMEME BEFORE 2025
The government has been urged to nationalize power distributor UMEME Limited if the country is to improve service delivery in the energy sector and lower cost of doing business.
This is one of the
recommendations in a report titled “Privatization of Electricity” released on
Tuesday by Public Services International (PSI) , which is a think-tank.
Professor Alfred
Nuwagaba, a project coordinator at the PSI said that the non-disclosure
agreements signed between government and private utility firms are to blame for
the high electricity costs and the process to nationalise these firms needs to
be effected.
MAO WANTS GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW CONSTITUTION
IN NEW TERM
The Democratic Party
president general Norbert Mao has called for a constitutional review process,
arguing that the current constitution has lost trust of the people.
Mao also wants President
Museveni to institute a National Truth and Reconciliation Commission to heal
the country, following a highly contested election in January.
Mao made these remarks
in a press conference held at City House on Tuesday.
“We are calling for
constitutional review process so that Ugandans can have a constitution that
they believe in, like we believed in the 1995 constitution before they started
getting out its vital organs,” Mao said.
MARTHA KOOME SWORN IN AS CHIEF JUSTICE OF KENYA
Martha Koome has been sworn in Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya.
The ceremony took place at around 1pm on Friday at State House, Nairobi.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta today at State House, Nairobi witnessed the swearing-in of Lady Justice Martha Karambu Koome as the new Chief Justice of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court, and Justice William Okello Ouko as a Supreme Court judge,” State House said on Twitter.
Koome is the country’s first female Chief Justice and head of the Judiciary.
She replaces David Maraga, who made history by leading the Supreme Court when it annulled Kenyatta’s 2017 reelection victory citing ‘illegalities and irregularities’ and ordering a fresh election.
Koome, 61, has had a distinguished career with more than 33 years in private legal practice and as a member of the judiciary.
Martha Koome sworn in as Chief Justice of Kenya - Citizentv.co.k
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