HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.21 OF 2021
HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.21 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.21 of 2021 |The Week of May 31- June 6, 2021
The week came to a close with the Presidential address on Sunday 6th June 2021, where he explicitly highlighted the new measures that are intended to curb the spread of the Corona Virus (Covid-19) pandemic that is increasingly and alarmingly spreading infecting large numbers of people.
As Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), we call upon all HRDs inform and educate the general public about all the guidelines and regulations put in place that masses get to know the guidelines set by the government in order to avoid getting caught on the wrong side of the law due to ignorance.
More importantly, it is at this time that HRDs are called upon to be critical and document all human rights violations and abuses that may arise as the State organs mandated to implement the guides misuse their power which was highly witnessed during the first nation wide lockdown. Be vigilant, Be alert, safeguard yourself and continue to strive for a society that resects humans rights as we battle this pandemic.
COVID-19 SITUATION IN UGANDA
Results of COVID-19 tests
done on 05 June 2021 confirm 1,026 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases
are now 53,961.
The breakdown of the new
cases are: 1,022 contacts and Alerts: Kampala (700) Soroti (100) Wakiso (69)
Gulu (34) Mbarara (28) Tororo (18) Luwero (15) Buikwe (9) Mbale (9) Busia (7)
Yumbe (7) Manafwa (5) Kiruhura (3) Pader (3) Namisindwa (2) Oyam (2) Katakwi (1)
GULU MEDICAL STUDENTS STRIKE OVER FEES INCREMENT
Students of Gulu College of
Health Science in Gulu city are on strike over tuition increment. While
breaking off on May 13th, 2021, second-year students and finalists received
circulars indicating an increment in tuition fees.
According to the circular,
diploma students under government sponsorship will pay Shillings 1.47 million
from Shillings 1.27 million while private sponsored students will pay Shillings
2.5 million from Shillings 2.077million
The tuition increment has
not gone down well with students. A female student who declined to be named for
fear of reprisal says the administration should have consulted the governing
council, which comprises student representatives and other stakeholders before
revising the tuition.
Gulu
medical students strike over fees increment (independent.co.ug)
POLICE COMMANDERS IN TROUBLE
FOR RELEASING IMPOUNDED MOTORCYCLES
Motorcycles impounded
during the swearing of President Yoweri Museveni have landed police commanders
in trouble after the police leadership ordered a probe into how they were
released without the cyclists paying the penalty of 40,000 shillings.
The Assistant
Inspector-General of Police, Edward Osiru Ochom, who is also director of police
operations has tasked each of the commanders to explain how motorcycles
impounded during and after Museveni swearing were taken from the station
without proof of paying penalties to the bank.
On the eve of Museveni
swearing, joint security agencies anticipated criminal activities that were
intended to disrupt the swearing ceremony that took place at Kololo
Independence grounds. This followed a series of petrol bomb incidents in
Kampala.
In a bid to prevent
criminality, military and police accompanied by Local Defence Units –LDUs
mounted several roadblocks targeting riders and drivers violating curfew hours.
At least 1,700 motorcycles and over 70 cars were impounded.
Some of the impounded motorcycles during the curfew operation. File Photo
Police commanders in trouble for releasing impounded motorcycles (independent.co.ug)
ARMY, POLICE DEPLOY HEAVILY
ALONG NAPAK, NABULATUK BORDER
There is heavy
deployment of army and police anti stock theft unit along the border corridor
between Nabilatuk and Napak district.
The deployment follows a
suspected revenge attack by Pian pastoralists against their Bokora counterparts
from Napak district who are accused of killing Mariko Abura Apanaluk, one of
the most prominent elders in Karamoja region. Mariko, 67, who was stoned to
death on Saturday left 54 wives, 187 children, 116 grandchildren and over 2,000
heads of cattle.
He was killed together
with one of his sons and one Local Defence Unit soldier who had accompanied him
to Lorengechora army detach to report the raiding of 28 heads of cattle from
his kraal in duol village in the newly created Nabwal sub-county in Napak
district.
However, on his way back to Nabwal, he stopped around Lorengechora town council to greet his friends. But the youths mobilised to attack him thinking he was one of the cattle rustlers from Nabilatuk district who was doing a survey for more animals.
Army, police deploy heavily along Napak, Nabulatuk border (independent.co.ug)
Kayunga district leaders
are seeking a special fund to compensate landlords and put an end to land
disputes in the area. The unending land disputes in the district have
oftentimes resulted in injuries and loss of life.
A baseline survey on
land conflicts carried out in the month of April 2021 in sub-counties of Bbaale,
Busaana, Kayonza, Kitimbwa and Kangulumira shows that four out of ten
households are involved in land conflicts whereas six out of 10 witness land
conflicts at various villages. The survey by Shed, an organisation involved in
solving land wrangles indicates that widowed women and single mothers are
disadvantaged, with many of them facing delayed and financial incapacity to
pursue justice.
To cement the findings, Immaculate Namata, a resident at Kayunga notes that most conflicts are sparked off by men who privately engage in land deals without the knowledge of their wives, while others have passed on, leaving no documentation for the wives and children.
Authorities seek special fund to solve Kayunga land wrangles (independent.co.ug)
BODYGUARDS OF JUDICIAL OFFICERS
SPEND THREE MONTHS WITHOUT PAY
More
than 500 police officers providing security to judicial officers have gone
three months without receiving their allowances, Uganda Radio Network has
learnt. The police officers work as bodyguards, court orderlies and guard
the residential premises of judiciary officers.
Judges are guarded by
officers from the Counter-Terrorism Unit, Very Important Person Protection
Unit-VIPPU whereas courts especially upcountry are guarded by the regular
police officers deployed by their respective District Police Commanders.
A highly placed source
told URN on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from their superiors
that they have not received their allowances since February 2021, which has
made their survival and members of their families very difficult.
According to records
obtained by URN, police officers guarding Magistrates and court buildings are
entitled to a monthly allowance of Shillings 150,000. A police constable from
the VIPPU deployed as a bodyguard earns Shillings 420,000, a Corporal and
Sergeant Shillings 540,000, while the one deployed to guard a residence earns
Shillings 320,000 for a Constable and Shillings 380,000 for a sergeant.
The officers attached to the Chief Justice’s security detail who earn Shillings 660,000 monthly in allowances are affected.
Bodyguards of judicial officers spend three months without pay (independent.co.ug)
GOVT MOVES TO DIGITISE DRUG DELIVERY
SYSTEM
The government is
phasing out manual orders for drugs in a bid to address delays and other
hitches in the distribution chain.
This was revealed by the
general manager for National Medical Stores (NMS), Mr Moses Kamabare, on
Tuesday at the launch of the digitisation of the drug orders under a system
dubbed ‘NMS Plus.’
Mr Kamabare said the new system is intended to streamline delivery of drugs in public health facilities across the country and foster accountability.
Govt moves to digitise drug delivery system - Daily Monitor
OWINY-DOLLO: “INADEQUATE FUNDING
HAMPERING ACCESS TO JUSTICE”
The Chief
Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo has said that access to justice is still a
challenge to many Ugandans because of workforce gaps and inadequate funding,
which impedes output and case backlog.
Owiny Dollo
made the remarks while presiding over the third leadership dialogue, organised
by the Hague Institute for Innovations of Law (HiiL) and Justice Law and Order
Sector (JLOS), at Mestil Hotel in Kampala.
The goal of
the half-day dialogue was to explore ways of how to strengthen people-centred
justice in Uganda.
Owiny-Dollo
noted that inadequate transport to facilitate locus visits and staff mobility
is also another challenge.
He said that
the major objective of the dialogue was to come to a shared goal inspired by
four transformational ideas; developing a justice data hub that continuously
collects data about the needs and experiences of justice users, strengthening
local courts, integrating IT systems to support LC courts and supporting
traditional ways of resolving disputes.
KAZIIMBA TO POLICE: GIVE US REPORT ON
GEN KATUMBA’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
The
Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu has urged the
Uganda police to release a report on the attempted assassination of Gen Katumba
Wamala if they want to gain public trust.
Speaking at a
press conference following the Tuesday morning shooting that claimed two lives,
Kaziimba said that in many of such incidents, police has failed to release a
report, which affects their public image.
“Each time
such things happen, the police does its job and it does it well, what it
doesn’t do is to provide a report. I think people need to get a report, it will
help the public to gain trust in the police,” Kaziimba said.
The Citizen’s
Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) last Friday launched the
2021 elections report in Kampala, which among others, pointed out that there
incidents of voter bribery, intimidation, ballot stuffing and violence at
polling stations.
Miria
Matembe, CCEDU board chairperson, said the 2021 presidential, parliamentary and
the election of the Speaker of the 11th Parliament was a shame to democracy and
Ugandans at large. She said the executive arm of government took over the
entire electoral process and dictated who should be voted for which position.
She pointed
out examples of where names of candidates were mixed up on ballot papers and
that political party agents were insufficiently deployed, plus insufficient
civic education.
CCEDU
report cites widespread irregularities during 2021 elections - Nile Post
GEN KATUMBA SHOT AT 56 TIMES, SAVED BY WALL FENCE, OVER 40 BULLETS GO
THROUGH DAUGHTER
A close
source to the team doing forensics on the shooting incidents involving Gen
Katumba has revealed that at least 56 bullets can be accounted to have hit the
car in which the former Chief of Defence Forces, his daughter Brenda Nantongo,
bodyguard Sgt Khalid Koboyoit and driver Sgt Haruna Kayondo sat.
According
to the source, assailants who trailed Gen Katumba opened fire from both ends of
the car instantly taking out the driver who had been maneuvering to escape the
scene.
Witnesses
and CCTV camera footage indicate assailants traveling on motorcycles
approaching from two different directions, one coming from Kisasi end while
another makes a U-turn from the side of Bukoto before aiming in the middle of
the road, just about 30 meters from Katumba’s car.
One of
the witnesses who preferred anonymity claimed that the assailants were so
confident and they kept walking towards the car as they sprayed it with bullets
before they all went to the sides and continued their assault.
Indeed,
Gen Katumba’s driver had struggled to proceed with the car at a given speed but
the initial bullets, two of which got him in the chest only enabled him to
proceed miraculously towards a wall fence, which in the end became an obstacle to
the shooters.
The
same fence was an advantage exploited by Gen Katumba who himself had
unsuspectingly switched seats with his daughter Brenda Nantongo when he made a
stop earlier at Kulambiro trading center to purchase a New Vision newspaper.
Police
in Nansana have arrested a group of 44 people for organizing and attending a
same sex marriage.
According
to the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, on Monday,
Police received a tip off about a group of men suspected to be homosexuals
conducting a wedding in 780 zone, Ochen ward in Nansana municipality.
“Immediately
a team of police officers proceeded to the scene and a group of 38 adult males
and 6 females were found conducting a ceremony at around 1pm that looked to be
a wedding. All the men had make up and some were dressed as female in dresses
and wigs,”Owoyesigyire said.
“At the
same functions gifts were recovered, these included suitcases, a tv, assorted
gifts like sugar, salt, pineapples and many other gifts normally given at
traditional functions.”
He
noted that they were arrested and detained at police.
The
Criminal Investigations Divisions spokesperson, Charles Twine later said the
group would be charged for doing a negligent act likely to spread an infectious
disease.
MENGO HOSPITAL ON THE SPOT FOR ‘KILLING’ MONITOR JOURNALIST
Mengo
Hospital has been put on the spot regarding the death of Daily Monitor sports
photojournalist John Bugembe Ssenkubuge.
Ssenkubuge,
who has been a sports photographer for the news daily was pronounced dead last
Friday after he succumbed at Mengo Hospital.
According
to medical records, Ssenkubuge succumbed to high blood pressure will led to a
raptured nerve and spilled blood into his brain.
The
deceased had earlier fainted at a motor garage in Mulago and dashed to a nearby
clinic for handling before being referred to Mengo Hospital as his condition
was not changing for the better.
However,
the family narrates that on reaching Mengo Hospital, they were told to pay
shs900,000 ahead to enable different tests and diagnosis, which they did.
The
diagnosis pointed to particular bleeding in the brain requiring emergency
surgery to save the life of the 52-year-old.
Alas,
the hospital developed complications when they demanded that the family first
foot the surgery bill (Shs9m) halfway, or else the hospital would not treat the
patient.
According
to fellow journalist Ephraim Kasozi who was by the bedside of Ssenkubuge, they
were then asked to at least pay Shs2m to activate the chance of seeing
Ssenkubuge wheeled into the theatre.
While
the family ran up and down, contacted well-wishers to help raise the money,
Ssenkubuge lay in hospital, his situation precarious while family and friends
searched high and low for money to foot the bills for his urgent medical
condition.
It was
not until 8 hours had passed (at about 4 pm), that the now unresponsive
Ssekubuge was taken in for surgery.
The
surgery though pronounced successful after about 4 hours; would later prove a
little too late as Ssenkubuge failed to wake up from it.
At this
time, most of the hospital staff had vanished, including one Dr. Obiga who had
been in charge of the surgery.
The
Hospital would later on Friday afternoon disconnect Ssenkubuge from the life
support machines and the last office was performed on him- Ssenkubuge was dead.
CONCLUSION
The Human Rights Centre Uganda (HRCU) wishes to encourage all Human Rights Defenders and all people across the country to respect all the ministry of Health regulations for covid-19 so as it becomes each person's responsibility to protect the life of another as we limit and possibly element corona virus from Uganda
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