HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.42 OF 2021
WEEKLY
UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES WITH IN THE WORKING ENVIROMENT
OF HRDS
THE
WEEK OF 1st TO 7th NOVEMBER 2021
Welcome
to the new week!
Quite
a lot happened in the past week. For instance we saw H.E Jakaya Kikwetea
challenge the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights to push for the
realization of Agenda 2063 through its work https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/african-court-challenged-to-push-for-realization-of-agenda-2063-through-its-work.html;
the media reports and discussion regarding the work of Prime Minister Nabbanja
and Hon. Hillary Onek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q6fZyPO5hQ
and the ensuing debate on mandatory
vaccination against COVID-19.
It
therefore stands out as very crucial for us to support those who stand for
human rights by creating awareness on the dangers they face and how to address
them. The human rights movement is a global call which starts with you and me.
Below
were some of the major highlights from last week:
COVID-19 UPDATES
Results of COVID-19 tests
done on 6 November 2021 confirm 55 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases
are now 126,625. The breakdown of the new cases is: 55 Alerts And
Contacts; Kampala (24), Kalaki (7), Oyam (4), Wakiso (6), Soroti (3), Kabarole
(2), Gulu (1), Pader (1), Rakai (1), Bududa (1), Ngora (1), Adjumani (1),
Kiryandongo (1) Amuru (2)
Source: https://twitter.com/MinofHealthUG
UGANDA RECEIVES MORE DOSES OF PFIZER VACCINE
The Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng received
a total of 3.4 million doses of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines over the weekend from
the US Government.
Source: https://twitter.com/JaneRuth_Aceng/status/1457392554585034754
THREAT TO THE VACCINATION DRIVE: AFRICA RUNS
OUT OF PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE SYRINGES
African countries using
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines might have to suspend vaccination due to
syringe shortfalls According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), reports
from the United Nations Children International Fund (Unicef) indicate a 2.2
billion shortfall of syringes for different volumes. One of the affected
volumes is the 0.3 ml auto-disposable syringes that are needed for the
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination.
Already, some African
countries have been affected by this, and last month Kenya was forced to
suspend vaccination using Pfizer due to a lack of syringes. Shortages have also
been reported in Rwanda and South Africa.
Source: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/71697-africa-runs-out-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-syringes
HEALTH
MINISTRY TO LAUNCH MASS COVID-19 VACCINATION IN TESO, LANGO SUB REGION
The Ministry of Health set a
target of 1.1 million people to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in the Teso and
Lango sub region. The vaccination campaign dubbed “operation last lap” targets
people aged 18 years and above.
Dr. Alfred Driwale, the
Assistant Commissioner in charge of Vaccines and Immunization at the Ministry
of Health says that the mass vaccination will start on Monday, November 8 to
15.
Covid-19
mass vaccination in Teso and Lango will start on Monday, November 8 to 15
EXPERTS PUZZLED BY UGANDA'S SHARP DROP IN COVID-19 INFECTIONS
Health experts are puzzled
by the sharp reduction in Covid-19 infections and deaths. As of last week
Monday 1st November 2021, only nine patients with critical Covid-19
were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Mulago National Referral
hospital.
14 others were admitted to
the hospital’s high dependency unit (HDU) which would admit up to 300 patients
at the same time at the height of the second wave of the pandemic mid this
year.
Health minister Jane Ruth
Aceng
NUP
VOWS TO DEFY SPEAKER AMONG'S COVID-19 VACCINATION ORDERS
Opposition leading party,
National Unity Platform (NUP) vowed to defy the deputy speaker’s order banning
all unvaccinated people from accessing parliament.
Last week, deputy speaker Anita Annet Among said that nobody including MPs,
support staff, and members of the public will be allowed to access parliament
unless they show proof of Covid-19 vaccination.
However, NUP spokesperson
also Nakawa West MP Joel Ssenyonyi today said Among’s order is not only illegal
but also runs contrary to the current Covid-19 realities where the number of
vaccines available is fewer than the population eligible
forvaccination. Ssenyonyi said NUP MPs tomorrow will be at parliament but
will carry no vaccination cards for proving that they were jabbed.
Deputy speaker of parliament
Anita Among
KEY HUMAN RIGHTS AND EMERGING ISSUES:
CALL TO OBSERVE RIGHT TO
DECENT HOUSING: MPS DECRY THE DILAPIDATED STATE OF MBALE POLICE HOUSES
Two years after a
recommendation that the police barracks in Mbale be demolished, Parliament’s
Defence and Internal Affairs Committee was shocked to find the dilapidated
buildings still standing. Committee members said the houses are not fit for
human habitation.
THE
OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER: NABBANJA,
ONEK ‘AGREE’ TO WORK TOGETHER
Prime
Minister Robinah Nabbanja and the Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees
Minister, Mr Hilary Onek, decided to bury their hatchet and work together, the
Vice President Jessica Alupo revealed.
The
meeting, chaired by the Vice President as an arbiter; was also attended by Gen
Moses Ali, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government
Business in Parliament, and Lucy Nakyobe the Head of Public Service and
Secretary to Cabinet.
The
meeting held at the Vice President’s Office was prompted by a letter from
MrOnek, in which he accused the premier of “very abrasive” work methods and
usurping his powers.
Prime
Minister RobinahNabbanja, Vice President Jessica Alupo and the Relief, Disaster
Preparedness and Refugees Minister, Mr Hilary Onek after the meeting at the
Office of the Vice President on November 04, 2021. PHOTO | COURTESY
Source
and details: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/nabbanja-onek-agree-to-work-together-3608118
THE
BAIL DEBATE: NABBANJA RALLIES PUBLIC TO
SUPPORT BAIL REFORMS
The Prime Minister, Ms. Robinah
Nabbanja, asked Ugandans and religious leaders to support President Museveni’s
proposal to deny bail for people accused of capital offences.
President Museveni has since
renewed his unpopular debate on scrapping of bail in which he seeks to make it
hard for judges to release suspects of capital offences on bail before at least
serving 180 days on remand.
Speaking during the Kampala
Archdiocese Day celebrations at Rubaga Cathedral yesterday, Ms. Nabbanja said
the issue of bail is of great concern and should be appreciated by everyone and
not only the government.
Ms. Nabbanja said the bail
reform is aimed at reducing the power of the judges, murder cases and mob
action.
Prime Minister
RobinahNabbanja delves into her bag containing Shs50 million cash which she
handed over to the clergy at Lubaga Cathedral to help in the purchase of
screens for the church. She said the money is a donation from the government.
PHOTO/ MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
A
CALL FOR EDUCATION ON BAIL CASH: JUDICIARY STUCK WITH OVER SHS 26 BILLION IN
UNCLAIMED BAIL CASH
The Judiciary revealed that
it is stuck with over Shs26 billion in unclaimed cash bail money.
Addressing the press on Tuesday
2nd November 2021, the chief registrar Sarah Langa said by the end
of last financial year on 30th June 2021, they carried forward unclaimed and
security deposits amounting to over twenty-six billion, four hundred and forty
million shillings.
She has attributed this to
delays in receiving the said funds, failure to recover the money, ignorance to
the procedure in recovery and general lack of awareness that cash bail money is
recovered when the case is heard and disposed of.
Langa is now reminding the
general public that bail money is refundable as long as someone is charged with
a criminal offence, granted a cash bail deposited in a bank.
Source: https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/judiciary-stuck-with-over-shs-26-billion-in-unclaimed-bail-cash.html
ACCESS TO JUSTICE: JUDICIARY MOOTS MEDIATION AS SOLUTION TO CASE BACKLOG
The judiciary is mooting
plans to promote mediation in courts of law to help in reducing the case
backlog across the country.
Speaking to journalists at the sidelines of his visit to the Chief Magistrate's
court in Kitgum Municipality, chief justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo revealed that
mediation remains a crucial aspect of judicial work and promoting it will help
tackle the slow administration of justice in courts, saying many litigants'
cases continue to pile in courts because of the few magistrates and chief
magistrates.
Source: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/71724-judiciary-moots-mediation-as-solution-to-case-backlog
JUSTICE AT LAST: COURT SETS FREE
MAN WHO WAS WRONGFULLY CONVICTED
Court
of Appeal Justice, Fredrick Egonda Ntende is appalled with what he described as
the delay in the criminal justice system of Uganda in delivery of a speedy and
fair trial after court found out that a man who had spent 10 years in
prison was wrongfully convicted.
Justice
Fredrick Egonda Ntende expressed the said concern while setting free Sseremba
Dennis after ruling that the man was not properly identified as a
participant in the crime he was accused of and ordered for his immediate release.
Source:
https://capitalradio.co.ug/news/2021-11-03-court-sets-free-man-who-was-wrongfully-convicted/
PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUSTICE IN AFRICA:
AFRICAN COURT CHALLENGED TO PUSH FOR REALIZATION OF AGENDA 2063 THROUGH ITS
WORK
The
former president of Tanzania H.E Jakaya Kikwete challenged the African
Court to push for the realization of Agenda 2063 through its work.
Speaking
ahead of the 5th Judicial dialogue that opens on Wednesday
morning in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Kikwete urged participants at the dialogue
to premise their deliberations on the faith the African continent has in them
to make Africa a continent where peace, justice, and stability are attained
through observance and promotion of people’s rights.
CONCLUDING COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS:
1.
It is good to note that there is reduction in
the number of COVID-19 infections. This however calls for more vigilance given
that many people tend to relax knowing that the pandemic is “going down.” We
ought to continue observing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and caring
about our individual health and safety.
2.
The discussion and engagement on rights and
fundamental freedoms is a going concern on a daily basis and the work of human
rights defenders can never be underestimated at any one moment. Appreciation goes
to human rights defenders in the media fraternity who keep the public informed
about key developments within the environment that then call for responsibility
and action from the relevant stakeholders.
3.
Police housing! The question is where is the
priority of the State? Budgets are allocated but how is it that some duty
bearers such as Police officers continue to live in and under very poor,
inhuman and degrading conditions? Police leadership and other relevant
stakeholders ought to look into this matter with utmost urgency to see that it
is addressed.
4. We are getting into the season of commemorating
the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (25th November
to 10th December), the International Human Rights Defenders’ Day (9th
December) and International Human Rights Day (10th December). It is
a humble request that we all find space and resources to be part of these important
days as we continue to promote and strive to protect human rights and
fundamental freedoms for all.
Wishing
you many more fruitful days ahead.
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