HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.37 of 2021
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)
WEEKLY UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY
EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS' WORKING ENVIRONMENT
THE WEEK OF 27TH SEPTEMBER TO 3RD
OCTOBER, 2021
Welcome to October 2021! We
begin a new week in this new month with hope that it will be fruitful for all
of us.
Last
week was colored with quite a number of human rights and key emerging issues
among which was the declaration by Hon. Matia Kasaija of 12.15% interest for NSSF
savers for the financial year 2020/2021. This was during the Fund’s 9th Annual Members Meeting held at
Kampala Serena hotel on Wednesday September 29, 2021. The rate declared
translates into a total of Shs.1.52 trillion that will be credited to the members’
accounts, higher than the Shs.1.14 trillion that was paid to members in the
previous financial year. https://observer.ug/businessnews/71406-kasaija-declares-12-15-interest-rate-for-nssf-savers
It may be recalled
that President Yoweri Museveni agreed to the workers mid-term access to their
saving in the National Social Security fund and directed the Minister for
Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi to make changes to the bill
and return it for consent. Once assented to, law shall grant somebody who
is 45 years and has saved for ten years can access up to 20% of their savings.
The commencement date will be set in the statutory instrument, supervision of
the Fund shall be by the Ministry of Finance, while the NSSF Managing Director
shall be a member of the Board of Directors of the Fund. https://www.mediacentre.go.ug/media/workers-cleared-mid-term-access-nssf-savings
Below
are more of the updates from the week of 27th September to 3rd
October 2021.
COVID-19
SITUATION IN UGANDA
Results of COVID-19 tests done on
1 October 2021 confirm 119 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases are
123,976. The breakdown of the new cases is: 117 Alerts and Contacts:
Kitgum (15), Omoro (13), Kampala (21), Adjumani (11), Soroti (10), Oyam (6),
Apac (6), Tororo (4), Kumi (4), Isingiro (3), Bukedea (3), Bududa (3), Kwania
(3), Sironko (2), Agago (2), Serere (1), Kibuku (1), Kabarole (1), Abim (1), Kyotera (1), Mbale (1),
Nakasongola (1) Wakiso (3), Amuru (1) 2 Truck drivers; Amuru (2).
MPS
DEMAND PUBLIC HOLIDAY FOR COVID-19 VACCINATION
Members of Parliament want a public holiday
declared so as to scale up vaccination of learners in order to achieve the
vaccination target required to reopen schools. The MPs on the Parliamentary
forum on children noted that the prolonged lockdown on schools has exacerbated
cases of defilement, teenage pregnancy and acute malnutrition.
The forum together with the National Children
Authority addressed a press conference at Parliament and rallied teachers and
non-teaching staff to heed to the ongoing mass vaccination of teachers in order
to fast track the reopening of schools. They launched a three months campaign
which will be rolled out across the country to promote vaccine uptake of
teachers and students.
In efforts to step up vaccination, the MPs
have urged the government to declare a public holiday or two days for mass vaccination.
They believe it will not only scale up vaccination but also save vaccines from
expiring.
Source and details: The Independent: https://www.independent.co.ug/mps-demand-public-holiday-for-covid-19-vaccination/
ENTEBBE AIRPORT: MANDATORY COVID TESTING TO COST SHS 78BN
The government is
set to spend at least Shs.78billion to set up and operate the testing centre
for arriving passengers at Entebbe international airport for the next one year.
This was contained in a confidential government operational plan for
implementing the cabinet directive of undertaking mandatory testing for
Covid-19 at Entebbe international airport
“In order to
implement the cabinet decision, ministry of Health supported by the UPDF will
take over Covid-19 testing for all international inbound passengers from the
private practitioners at a cost of $30 (Shs.100,000),” reads part of the
report.
Initially, the ministry of Health had proposed that effective September 3, all
incoming passengers regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated against
Covid-19 should undergo mandatory testing at the airport. However, on September
2, the inter-ministerial committee postponed the exercise by two weeks to
ensure passengers are tested with minimum inconveniences.
Officials involved
in the planning meetings of the inter-ministerial committee that is in charge
of the exercise say the government plans to spend Shs.78billion on setting up
the laboratory, sample collection and waiting areas, among other items at the
airport. Of this, Shs.44billion will be spent on testing kits, Shs.15billion on
completion of arrival hall as well as Shs.4billion on salaries and allowances
of the 60 staff at the centre, among others.
Source and details at: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/71362-entebbe-airport-mandatory-covid-testing-to-cost-shs-78bn
MUSEVENI
INCHES CLOSER TO SCRAPPING BAIL FOR CAPITAL OFFENDERS
President Museveni on Friday October 1
continued to inch closer to his sole push of scrapping bail for presumed
capital offenders in a televised prime time national address.
Mr. Museveni who has recently been consistent
with his quest for the move essentially packaged by him as justice for the
victims said bail is provocative and interferes with security
investigations.
''How can we have a system like this? First of all it annoys people
because for them they may not know the difference between bail and being
released. The public gets annoyed,’’ he explained.
Source:
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/museveni-inches-closer-to-scrapping-bail-for-capital-offenders--3570096
MUSEVENI CONNED AS POLICE PRESENT FAKE MASAKA KILLINGS VICTIMS
Lwengo criminal
investigations department (CID) officer Patrick Mbabazi is on spot for
presenting 'ghost' relatives of machete victims to President Yoweri Kaguta
Museveni for irregular financial gain. In September 2021, 25 people from
families that lost their relatives in the machete attacks in Masaka sub-region
met Museveni at State House in Nakasero. Each representative received Shs.10
million from the president as condolence money. However, it is now emerging
that some of the beneficiaries were not relatives to the machete victims and
that unscrupulous individuals including security officers that coordinated
the movement of the beneficiaries shared the money.
Three relatives of Francis Ruhamyakaaka, one of the those murdered in Nakateeta village Kisekka sub-county in Lwengo district have formally complained to the Lwengo resident district commissioner (RDC) over their condolence fees that went into the wrong hands. Led by George Mbonimpa, a cousin to the deceased, the relatives accuse Mbabazi of deliberately conniving with other people to present an extra 'fake' person as their family representative. According to him, the actual relatives of Ruhamyakaaka were swapped with Fred Ssentongo who was just a friend. He reportedly received the money, which he shared with security officers.
Source and
details: The Observer: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/71388-museveni-conned-as-police-present-fake-masaka-killings-victims
GEN. MUHOOZI APOLOGISES TO PARLIAMENT OVER SSEWANYANA, SSEGIRINYA
The state minister
for Internal Affairs Gen. David Muhoozi, apologized to Parliament for not
following due processes of re-arresting MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan
Ssewanyana. Ssegirinya was re-arrested from Kigo Prison on Monday, shortly
after being granted bail by the High court in Kampala. He had been remanded on
September 8, on six counts of murder attempted murder and aiding and abetting
terrorism. Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga later issued a statement, saying
that the MP had been re-arrested on fresh charges of treason and inciting
violence.
The two MPs are
being accused of their alleged involvement in machete killings in Greater
Masaka sub-region, which have claimed close to 30 people. But speaker of Parliament,
Jacob Oulannyah and a section of legislators led by the leader of the
opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga faulted the government on enforcing the
re-arrests without duly informing the speaker’s office with summons.
On Tuesday
September 28, Mpuuga led the opposition out of parliament in protest and
announced that they would boycott the sittings of parliament until the two MPs
are released. In his communication to the House on Wednesday, Oulanyah
said that he had held a meeting with the Government Chief Whip, the minister of
Security, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs and the leader of the
opposition over the matter and that they came to some agreement of how they
will handle the situation he described as difficult.
Regarding the
summons, Oulanyah said that he later got information that these had been
received by the office of the deputy speaker of parliament but they were not
brought to his attention. Muhoozi told Parliament that the two MPs had been
produced before the Masaka court on Wednesday and that the medical concerns of
MP Ssegirinya were raised and that arrangements to have him accessed by his
doctors have been put in place. He committed to a speedy and fair trial of the accused.
However, Theodore
Ssekikubo, the Lwemiyaga County MP questioned the minister’s statement and
asked him to explain why security operatives did not follow the full process
before re-arresting the two MPs.
Source and more details
at: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/71385-gen-muhoozi-apologises-to-parliament-over-ssewanyana-ssegirinya
OPPOSITION THREATENS TO BOYCOTT PARLIAMENT
Opposition MPs
have resolved to boycott parliamentary sittings as they continue mount pressure
to secure the freedom of fellow legislators Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West)
and Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North). Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana who are
facing murder and terrorism charges got re-arrested soon after being granted
bail by the High court. The MPs communicated their position following a meeting
chaired by the leader of the opposition in parliament (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga.
The development came
a day after opposition MPs stormed out of parliament in protest of what they
termed as government’s failure to offer a satisfactory reason for the brutal
re-arrest of Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya moments after they had been granted
bail.
Source and details at: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/5287/opposition-threatens-boycott-plenary-sittings
PLIGHT OF THE GIRL
CHILD: ROAD CONSTRUCTORS IMPREGNATE 1,000 GIRLS IN SOROTI
One thousand girls have been impregnated by
road constructors in Kamuda sub county, Soroti district. The Ministry of
Internal Affairs has notified the road constructors together with support staff
who worked in areas of Soroti, Kumi and Paliisa districts and had unprotected
sex with girls and impregnated them in the area to take up the responsibilities
of fathering their babies.
Agnes Igoye, the deputy coordinator of the Trafficking
in Persons department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs told the media on
Monday September 27 that there has been improvement in the state of the roads
in the area but while road construction was ongoing, the constructors engaged
in unprotected sex with many girls in the area which has led to many children
born being unaccounted for. As a result, Kamuda sub county in Soroti alone
registered 1,000 teenage pregnancies and that some of these girls have been
visiting health centers without help from guardians. She has therefore advised
the constructors who specifically worked on the roads and may not be aware of
the matter to return to Paliisa, Kumi and Soroti so that they immediately take
care of the girls they made pregnant.
Source and details: The Independent: https://www.independent.co.ug/road-constructors-impregnate-1000-girls-in-soroti/
REGIONAL NEWS
SOUTH SUDAN RECIPROCATES, WAIVES VISA FEES FOR UGANDANS
The government of
South Sudan has announced that it is waiving visa fees for Ugandans entering
their country. This is in reciprocation of Uganda’s decision to waive visa fees
for South Sudanese nationals entering Uganda which took effect on October 1.
Although Uganda
had given South Sudan up to the 31st of October to make a decision
on whether to reciprocate the waiver, a press statement by the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan dated October 1
indicates that the country has decided that the waiver takes effect from Monday
October 4. According to the release, South Sudan's government has directed the Ministry
of Interior through its Directorate of Nationality Passports and Immigration
According to the
minister of East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga, indeed they waived
off visa fees for South Sudan and did expect them to reciprocate. She however
says she will confirm this on Monday October 4, 2021.
OBSERVATION AND THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
A lot remains to be
desired and to be done by human rights defenders to save the situation especially
of violence against the girl child and abuse/violation of their rights and fundamental
freedoms. We need to be careful regarding our thoughts, words and deeds as human
rights defenders. The world is watching and waiting on us to save the day no matter
the challenges we face along the way. Let’s keep on being resilient and focus on
our calling – to promote and strive for the protection and realization of human
rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
Let’s work towards
sensitizing as many people as we can about their rights so that they can continue
to claim for their respect and realization.
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