ISSUE NO.20 OF 2022
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE UGANDA
(HRCU)
WEEKLY UPDATE ON COVID-19 AND KEY
EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WITHIN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT OF HRDS IN UGANDA
THE WEEK OF 6TH TO 12TH
JUNE, 2022
Dear
reader,
Welcome to a new week.
Please receive and read through our weekly updates compiled from last
week, starting with the COVID-19 situation in the
country.
COVID-19
UPDATES
Results of COVID-19 tests done on 10
June 2022 confirm 116 new cases.
The cumulative confirmed cases are
166,237. The breakdown of the new cases is: 115 Alerts and Contacts: Kampala
(69), Gulu (20), Wakiso (14), Lira (3), Mbarara (3), Mukono (1), Rubirizi (1),
Oyam (1) Mityana (1), Kikuube (1), Kanungu (1) 01 Truck driver from Amuru.
NEW
COVID-19 CASES: MINISTER ACENG WARNS OF RESURGENCE OF COVID-19 CASES
The minister of health warned that the country
is experiencing an increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases compared to
the stable trends it observed since January. The increase is similar to the
rise the country faced in June 2021 when the Delta variant was prevalent, Dr.
Jane Ruth Aceng, the minister of health, said in a tweet late Sunday, June 5,
2022.
The minister said the measures being taken to
address the resurgence include vaccination for all, requiring mask-wearing at
all times, especially by the vulnerable population, and hand washing.
Source:https://www.independent.co.ug/minister-aceng-warns-of-resurgence-of-covid-19-cases/
INCREASE IN COVID-19
CASES: SCIENTISTS EXPLAIN RISING COVID CASES
Government scientists attributed the slight
increase in reported cases of COVID-19 to waning immunity and a suspected
emergence of mutated forms of Omicron named BA.4 and BA.5.
The new types of Omicron, which were first
identified by South African scientists last year, are behind the fresh spikes
in Covid-19 infections in Southern Africa nations. The new types have been reported
by scientists to be more infectious than the older versions of Omicron and are
capable of escaping immune protection from previous infection or vaccination
Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/scientists-explain-rising-covid-cases-3842922
KEY EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
LGBTI+ RIGHTS DEFENDERS ARRESTED AFTER TURNING TO THE POLICE FOR HELP
Two people working for the organization Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) turned to the police to report a crime. Instead of getting help from the police, the two were arrested. An investigation has also been opened against SMUG for allegations of recruiting children/minors into homosexuality. SMUG and other LGBTI+ rights defenders express their suspicion of orchestrated harassment and threats behind these measures. We urge authorities to ensure due process of law, treat LGBTI+ persons equally, and respect the human rights of the arrested.
PRESIDENT
MUSEVENI ASSENTS TO 8 BILLS PASSED BY PARLIAMENT
President
Yoweri Museveni assented to eight bills that were passed by Parliament during
the 1st session. This was confirmed by the Speaker of Parliament Anita
Among through her Twitter handle after a meeting that was held at the Statehouse
in Entebbe. The bills signed include; Stamp duty (Amendment) Act, 2022, The Income Tax (Amendment)
Act, 2022, The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2022,The Tax Procedures Code
(Amendment) Act, 2022,The Tax Appeals Tribunal (Amendment) Act, 2022,The
Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2020,The Appropriation Act, 2022,The Landlord and
Tenant Act, 2022
Under
the electricity law, all persons found guilty of power theft will be subjected
to a fine of Shs1 Billion or be jailed for 15 years or both. The tenants’ law
requires all tenants to meet their rental obligations within 30 days or be
evicted.
The
Landlord and tenants Act, 2021 also empowers landlords to access the tenant’s
premises with the help of police or Local council authorities to confiscate property
as a means of recovering the accumulated rent arrears.
Source:https://capitalradio.co.ug/news/2022-06-09-president-museveni-assents-to-8-bills-passed-by-parliament/
THE RIGHT TO HEALTH AND
ACCESS TO JUSTICE: FAMILY REJECTS STATE HOUSE REPORT ON MUBENDE WOMAN’S MISSING
KIDNEY
The family of a mother who accused medics at
Mubende Regional Referral Hospital of extracting her kidney dismissed a report
by the State House Health Monitoring Unit (SHHMT) and talked of a sinister plot to
obstruct justice.
Mr Sebastian Rwimo, the father of
MsPeragiya Muragijemana, the missing kidney victim, said the family is not
satisfied with the State House medical report clearing Mubende hospital medics
of any wrongdoing. MrRwimo protested the findings from the second medical
examination conducted at Mulago and revealed that when the family reached the
hospital for the scan on May 30, the doctor, who attended to his daughter at
Mubende hospital, was the same person they found in the room where the tests
were conducted.
However, officials from SHHMT dismissed Ms. Muragijemana’s
accusations against Mubende medics and reiterated that the abdominal CT scan
done by radiologist Sharif Kikomeko of Mulago hospital revealed that
there was “no kidney tissue on the right renal bed and an enlarged left
kidney.
Ms. Muragijemana, 20, a resident of Lwemiggo Village,
Kabyuuma Parish, Kalonga Sub-county in Mubende District, claims her right
kidney was removed when she sought an operation at Mubende hospital on April
24, 2022.
WOMEN COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES
ELECTIONS: ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMENCES REGISTRATION OF WOMEN VOTERS
The exercise is aimed at updating the voter
register ahead of the upcoming women councils and committees elections. According
to the electoral body, the exercise will be conducted from 7am to 6pm on each
of the appointed dates in all villages throughout the country. The commission’s
spokesperson Paul Bukenya says the exercise run from June 10 and 13.
This will be followed by the display of the
women’s register at the village level between June 23 and 24; nomination of
candidates at the sub-county headquarters will take place on June 27 and July
1.
Candidates’ campaigns for election of the village
women committee will take place between July 4 and 6 and polling day for a five
member committee will be on July 7.
REGIONAL UPDATE
REGIONAL SECURITY AND STABILITY: M23’ REBEL ATTACKS: DR CONGO ARMY
ACCUSES RWANDA OF DEPLOYING SOLDIERS 'TO DEFEND M23'
The tension between Kinshasa and
Kigali appeared to heat up on the night of Wednesday, June 8, 2022, after the
Congolese army accused Rwanda of deploying soldiers dressed in a different
uniform to boost the M23 militia.
The army, known by its French
acronym FARDC, said at least 500 Rwandan troops have joined M23 in Rutshuru,
North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo close to the border
between the two countries.
In a statement issued on Wednesday
June 8, 2022, the Congolese army said: “Rwanda
has deployed in the vicinity of Tchanzu (in North Kivu) 500 Special Forces
soldiers, all dressed in new green-black uniforms and wearing the helmets of
its Special Force".
Rwanda Government Spokesperson
Yolande Makolo said, "Through our
foreign minister as well as our permanent representative at the United Nations,
Rwanda has made its position clear, we are not interested in a crisis and will
not respond to baseless accusations."
CONCLUDING
REMARKS
1. HRCU continues to urge HRDs and the general public not
to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19 especially since, confirmed
cases by the Ministry of Health have continued to rise. We ought to adhere to
the set safety guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which include
washing hands with soap or sanitizer, wearing a face mask, keeping a social distance
of at least 2 meters, and embracing vaccination.
2. It should be noted that any form of discrimination, arrests, or attacks on key populations and human rights defenders working to defend their rights undermines the human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Uganda as a country has the obligation under international human rights law to promote and protect the human rights of all persons without discrimination. The right to equality and freedom from discrimination is provided for under Article 21 of the 1995 Uganda Constitution and therefore state institutions like Uganda Police have a duty to respect and protect the above right.
3. Lastly, state institutions like Uganda Police also ought to at all times apply the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) while carrying out activities.
We thank you for reading and wish you a happy new week
Contact HRCU for any
human rights-related issue or contact our Legal Aid section on 080033300 for
assistance.
Together We Defend!
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