HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.35 OF 2021
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)
WEEKLY UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY
EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN THE HRDS’ WORKING ENVIRONMENT
ISSUE NO.35 OF 2021 | WEEK OF 13TH
TO 19TH SEPTEMBER 2021
Welcome to a new week!
It is good that we completed the past week despite the challenges that were met.
On Tuesday 14th September 2021, news was spread or received of the death of Ms. Juiet Ebil, a focal and vocal human rights defender in Lira district/Lango sub region. She was working as Team Leader/Programme Manager at the Lira based Facilitation for Peace and Development (FAPAD) https://fapaduganda.org/team/ebil-juliet/. Juliet will be remembered as a resilient human rights defender who loved working with everyone and who prioritized the promotion of democracy, good governance and human rights promotion, protection and realization for all. She was laid to rest on Saturday 18th September 2021 in Kole district. May her soul continue to rest in everlasting peace.
Please see: https://tndnewsug.com/2021/09/15/akena-leads-upc-in-mourning-archbishop-lwanga-ebil-and-bmk/
On
Saturday 18th September 2021, worshippers from all walks of life thronged Namungoona Hill, the home of St Nicholas
Cathedral, to pay homage to Orthodox Archbishop Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga, a
fearless prelate, who died on September 5. After waiting for two weeks,
with the help of President Museveni, the body finally arrived from Athens,
Greece, where the archbishop succumbed to prostate cancer.
Please read details at: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/sombre-mood-as-archbishop-lwanga-starts-final-journey--3555420
Quick comment:
The demise of such great human rights defenders reminds each
of us of our calling and practice of continued advocacy and participation in
causes within our society that call for the respect, promotion, protection and
realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms. We ought to leave the
world a better place than we found it.
COVID-19
NEWS UPDATES
Results of COVID-19 tests done on
18th September 2021 confirm 65 new cases. The cumulative number of
confirmed cases stood at 122,277 with the breakdown being 63 Alerts and
Contacts; Ngora (16), Soroti (7), Kumi (6), Tororo (4), Kampala (6), Napak (3),
Amuria (3), Pader (2), Kaberamaido (2), Kotido (2), Bududa (1), Maracha (1)
Terego (1), Nakasongola (1), Yumbe (1), Kalaki (1), Manafwa (1) Wakiso (5),
Amuru (1) 2 Truck drivers from Kyotera.
Source and more information at: https://twitter.com/MinofHealthUG/
THE NEED TO SUPPORT FRONTLINE WORKERS: MEDICS COMPLAIN AS COVID-19 ALLOWANCES DELAY
Medical workers in Kitgum District are
unhappy over the delayed payment of their allowances as frontline workers in
the fight against COVID-19. The government disbursed shillings 407 million to
Kitgum District in July this year to facilitate emergency responses in the
fight against COVID-19. With the disbursement, the District taskforce had
allocated shillings 13.5 million for the case management, shillings 8.4 million
for surveillance, and shillings 9 million for Laboratory, to facilitate
frontline health workers in combating the contagion. But nearly three months
later, none of the Committees in the District taskforce have received payment.
While speaking at a weekly taskforce meeting,
Dr. Geoffrey Okello, the acting Medical Superintendent of Kitgum General
Hospital who also doubles as the head of case management on Friday told Uganda
Radio Network (URN) that the delayed payment is grossly affecting their work.
Source and details at: The Independent,
Sunday 19th September 2021: https://www.independent.co.ug/medics-complain-as-covid-19-allowances-delay/
TESTING MESS AT
ENTEBBE CAUSES 90% TOURIST CANCELLATIONS - TOUR OPERATORS
A cross-section of tour operators have cried
out to government to clean up the Covid-19 testing mess at Entebbe
International Airport, saying it is costing the country 90 per cent of tourist
booking cancellations.
In a press conference at Sheraton Kampala
Hotel on Thursday 16th September 2021, the tour operators urged the
government to remove the Covid-19 test for arriving tourists who have been
vaccinated and tested negative from their home countries. The complaints come
hot on the heels of the high charges for the Covid-19 test at the airport. There
have also been complaints over fake positive Covid-19 results that are used for
extortion purposes, the poor conditions at the testing venue and criticisms
that those that handle the process have no interpersonal relations etiquette.
Passengers who arrived in
Uganda aboard a Kenya Airways flight recently line up to make payments for
Covid-19 tests at Peniel Beach Hotel in Entebbe. PHOTO/Stephen Otage
Source and details at: The Monitor, Saturday
September 18, 2021: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/testing-mess-at-entebbe-causes-90-tourist-cancellations-3554446
Quick comment and call to
action:
COVID-19 is real, let’s do all we can to stay safe.
Let’s all continue to observe the standard operating procedures (SOPs)
including regularly washing hands with clean water and soap or sanitizing,
wearing face masks while in public places, keeping or maintaining social
distance and taking and completing vaccination against the deadly pandemic.
The human rights defenders’ fraternity calls for
continued vigilance by the State and all citizens so as to avoid being taken
for granted or exploited by some opportunists who pretend to be working towards
fighting or offering support to combat the pandemic. Stringent action
ought to be taken against such unscrupulous persons.
RIGHT
TO EDUCATION: COURT DISMISSES PETITION SEEKING TO BLOCK KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY
GRADUATION
The High court in
Kampala dismissed an application seeking to block the 17th graduation
ceremony of Kyambogo University. The decision arose from an application filed
on 14th September by 45 students who sought a halt to the graduation
ceremony fixed for 21st to 23rd September 2021 because
their names were missing from the list of graduands.
The students, led
by Keneth Masereka, stated that they had successfully pursued different courses
at Kyambogo and passed all the subjects undertaken according to the information
on their respective student portals run and managed by the University. However,
their names were missing from the lists that were released through the
different department heads.
They asked court
to grant them an interim injunction restraining the university from holding the
graduation ceremony in order to save them from suffering irreparable damages.
But their application was dismissed by principal judge Dr. Flavian Zeija on
grounds that the affidavit supporting it was not signed before a Commissioner
of Oaths.
Source and details: The Observer, Saturday September
18, 2021: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/71249-court-dismisses-petition-seeking-to-block-kyambogo-university-graduation
Quick comment and call to action
The right to fair hearing is duly catered for under
Article 28 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the rights to
freedom of expression, opinion, assembly are found in Article 29. Courts have
the discretion to determine cases after listening to all parties involved. The
call is that in the determination of all matters before them, fairness and
impartiality should always prevail before/in the courts of law.
MASAKA KILLINGS:
FOUR MORE SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN KAMPALA
The Uganda Police said they arrested four
additional suspects in Kampala in connection to the brutal killings in the
greater Masaka region. Addressing journalists at police headquarters Naguru,
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said they had arrested four suspects who are
part of the criminal gang that was hired to execute the killings. In the
previous week, four suspects; Kabuye Faizo, 27, Frank Tamale, 32, Bernard
Musumba, 22 and Badril Kilenga were charged with the murder of Sulaiman Kayemba
who is among the 26 victims of panga wielding assailants.
Without mentioning details of the suspects,
Enanga said during the expanded investigations, four other suspects linked to
the same killings in Masaka were picked-up in various parts of Makindye in
Kampala over the weekend and they would be transferred to Masaka anytime for
charges. He added that they were continuing to
pursue all investigative leads and tracking down the remaining culprits who
form part of the vicious gang behind the attacks in Greater-Masaka region
districts.
Police
spokesperson Fred Enanga confirmed report
Source
and details at: The Independent, Monday September 13, 2021: https://www.independent.co.ug/masaka-killings-four-more-suspects-arrested-in-kampala/
Call to action:
Human rights defenders are called upon to continue speaking out against acts that amount to infringement of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the citizens. The media is a strong ally and should be utilised to voice and publish campaigns against murder(s) of innocent citizens. The State ought to take all appropriate action.
PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS | SPEAKER: NSSF MID-TERM ACCESS BILL HAS
TO BE RE-INTRODUCED
On Friday 17th September 2021,
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah ruled that all bills passed by the 10th
Parliament but had not yet been assented to by the President had
automatically lapsed. He told Parliament that all the bills that had lapsed
both Government and Private had to be reintroduced. This includes the NSSF bill
on midterm access that despite securing a change of heart from President Yoweri
Museveni in August, it had not been formally assented to.
President Museveni last month agreed to the workers
mid-term access to their saving in the National Social Security fund but
directed the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi to
make changes to the NSSF bill and return it for consent.
Speaker Oulanyah flanked by deputy Anitah Among in parliament today.
PHOTO PARLIAMENT MEDIA
Source and details at: The Independent, Friday
September 16, 2021: https://www.independent.co.ug/speaker-nssf-mid-term-access-bill-has-to-be-re-introduced/
Also see:
NSSF Bill, eleven others set to be tabled afresh: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/nssf-bill-eleven-others-set-to-be-tabled-afresh-3553728
Quick comment and call to action:
Parliament has Rules of Procedure that
guide its business. The ruling by the Speaker of Parliament of reintroducing
the Bills that hadn’t been passed by the 10th Parliament or assented to by the President means that
some time will have to be created and more financial resources have to be
secured and allocated towards advocacy for the passing of the Bills. Human
Rights Defenders ought to continue “pushing for passing of legislation that
promotes and protects human rights and recognize the work and rights of human
rights defenders in Uganda.
RIGHT TO LIFE | ACCESS TO JUSTICE: MURDER MYSTERY REMAINS AS ASIO ONEBE
BURIED IN KABERAMAIDO
The remains of Immaculate Mary Blessings Asio
Angolonam Onebe have been laid to rest in Abalang Village, Ochero Town Council
in Kaberamaido District. Asio’s body was discovered in a septic tank on 9th
September, 2021 at her matrimonial home in Muyenga, Kampala. She went missing
on 6th January, 2021 and the search for her whereabouts continued by
the police and relatives until September.
But even after her body was found in the
septic tank in her matrimonial home, her husband, Francis Onebe told the police
that the body was not that of his wife. This prompted the police to conduct a
DNA test to identify the body. The results turned out positive. After the DNA
confirmation, relatives went to pick the body from Kampala Capital City Authority
(KCCA) morgue at Mulago and the body transported to her relatives’ home in
Ochero on Friday.
The Minister for Teso Affairs, Dr. Clement
Ongalo Obote Obote asked government to expedite investigations into the matter
for justice to be served to the family.
“Nobody is allowed to take another person’s
life for whatever reason. We ask the police to do their work deligently to
serve justice in this case. I request the family to remain calm and allow the
law to take its course,” he
said at the burial.
Source and details: The Independent, Sunday
September 19, 2021: https://www.independent.co.ug/murder-mystery-remains-as-asio-onebe-buried-in-kaberamaido/
Also see:
·
DNA report confirms body
retrieved from Onebe's septic tank is of his wife: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/71239-dna-report-confirms-body-retrieved-from-onebe-s-septic-tank-is-of-his-wife
·
DNA confirms body retrieved from Munyonyo septic tank
is missing Immaculate Onebe: https://www.independent.co.ug/dna-confirms-body-retrieved-from-munyonyo-septic-tank-is-missing-immaculate-onebe/
·
Onebe
denies hiring maid as police discover second body remains from septic tank: https://www.independent.co.ug/onebe-denies-hiring-maid-as-police-discover-second-body-remains-from-septic-tank/
CIVIC SPACE | SWEDEN:
CONTINUED CLOSURE OF DGF HURTING UGANDANS
The Swedish Ambassador to Uganda Maria
Håkansson said that the continued closure of the Democratic Governance
Facility-DGF is greatly affecting communities that were beneficiaries of its
activities.
DGF, the single biggest donor basket
established by development partners was suspended early this year after
President Yoweri Museveni accused the Ministry of Finance of irregularly
authorizing funding, to a tune 500 billion Shillings, to be operated
exclusively by foreign missions in Uganda. He said that the approval of DGF
operations, without government oversight tantamount to surrendering the
sovereignty of the people of Uganda to foreign interests.
The suspension however crippled activities of
several organizations, the majority of which are engaged in promoting
accountability, good governance, human rights, democracy, service delivery
monitoring and capacity building. Since then, there have been protracted
negotiations between countries that fund DGF and the government and it’s not
yet known how far these talks have gone.
However, Maria
Håkansson said they are hopeful that the talks that they are currently involved
in with the government will end up with the reopening of DGF. She was speaking
at Sheraton Kampala Hotel during celebrations to mark The International Day of
Democracy, celebrated around the world to encourage governments to strengthen
and consolidate democracy.
FILE
PHOTO: Uganda’s foreign affairs Minister Gen. Jeje Odongo recently met Swedish
Ambassador Carina Hakansson. She Friday warned about effects of the DGF
ban
GULU HOTELS BARRED FROM HOSTING SALEH’S VISITORS OVER UNPAID BILLS
Dennis Odwong Odongping the Gulu Resident City Commissioner
has warned all hotels in the city not to receive people claiming to be guests
of Gen. Salim Saleh, the national coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation
(OWC) without permission from his military assistant.
In a letter dated 13th
September, 2021, Odongping directed all hotels to seek official reservations
from Saleh's military aide Col. Jimmy Nkojo. He also provided Nkojo’s contact. He
noted that they had continued to receive information that some hotel owners
were continuing to accommodate people purporting to be Saleh’s guests despite
their caution. The RCC warned that reservations not approved by Saleh’s
military adviser would not be considered.
Saleh is currently camped
at Gulu and has a residence in the UPDF 4th Division Barracks
which has recently been the centre of high profile visits by senior government
officials, investors, artistes, and other guests. Because of the large number
of guests, most of them have since been booked in hotels as they wait for days
or even weeks to see him.
Source and details: The
New Vision, Sunday September 19, 2021: https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/115130/gulu-hotels-barred-from-hosting-salehs-visito
CONCLUDING REMARK
At the start and end of
each week, it remains important to take stock of the key issues that arose or
continue to arise within the working environment of human rights defenders in
Uganda. This helps us not only to remain informed but also to think of, put in
place and implement relevant approaches to address the challenges that emerge from time to time.
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