HCRU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO. 23 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 JUNE 27 TO JULY 3, 2022
Dear
reader,
Welcome to the new month of July 2022. We hope that it comes with good health, peace, and happiness.
As we look at this week's edition of the weekly updates, HRCU joins the Civil Society fraternity at large in congratulating Chapter Four Uganda upon their resumption of operations after the issuance of a new permit of operation by the NGO Bureau. Chapter Four Uganda is also welcomed back to the work of promoting, protecting, and defending fundamental human rights and freedoms in Uganda after nine months of “Indefinite Suspension” of its activities by the NGO Bureau.
COVID-19
UPDATES
Results of
COVID-19 tests done on 1 July 2022 confirm 59 new cases. The cumulative
confirmed cases are 167,935. The breakdown of the new cases is: 59 Alerts and
Contacts: Kampala (43), Rubirizi (4), Jinja (2), Kibuku (2), Mbarara (2),
Ntungamo (1), Wakiso (1), Mukono (1) Amudat (2), Kyotera (1)(2), Isingiro
(2)
HOSPITALS
URGED TO RESERVE 10 BEDS FOR CRITICAL COVID-19 PATIENTS AS CASES RISE
The Ministry of Health directed hospitals across the country to reserve ten beds to be able to isolate and admit people who present with COVID-19. The decision was made as new cases were averaging 120 per day creating fear that the country could see a new surge in infections following a decline that started in January. Dr Ronny Bahatungire, a member of the National COVID-19 Case Management Committee said health workers have been advised to screen everyone that comes with symptoms of respiratory infections. However, he said that this time around they are not seeing patients present with running noses. Instead, those many are presenting with cough.
KEY EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
THE
RIGHT TO APPLY FOR BAIL: COURT OF APPEAL HAS NO JURISDICTION TO HEAR
SSEGIRINYA, SSEWANYANA BAIL PETITION – JUDGES
Court of Appeal in Kampala declined to release
jailed Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya and his Makindye West counterpart,
Allan Ssewanyana on bail. A panel of three justices; Cheborion Barishaki,
Christopher Izama Madrama and Eva Luswata argued that the appellate court does
not have the jurisdiction to entertain the two MPs’ petition challenging the
high court judge’s decision in which he denied them bail.
The court heard that since Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana
were still under trial and had neither been acquitted nor convicted; they
shouldn’t have petitioned the appellate court.
The judges, however, noted that whereas the MPs’
application was incompetent, they are concerned that they have been on remand
for nine months without being tried. Reacting to the ruling, the MPs’ lawyers, Samuel
Muyizzi and Shamim Malende told journalists outside court that it sets a bad
precedent and that they would petition the Constitutional Court.
GIRL CHILD EDUCATION: WOMEN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CALL FOR EQUITABLE, QUALITY EDUCATION FOR GIRL CHILD
Women rights activists called for
equitable and quality education for the girl child in the country. The call
comes as the number of female school dropouts and cases of teenage pregnancy
continue to rise and these were worsened during the two years of covid-19
induced lockdown.
According to statistics, the 2012-2016 enrollment trends for primary
schools demonstrate parity but there are significant regional disparities
estimated at 56% males and 44.5% females. The executive director For Women in Democracy,
Patricia Munabi, said many children of school-going age have never attended
primary school, females accounting for 23% visa vies 12% of their male counterparts.
She noted that government should find an everlasting solution to the
declining quality of education, especially in UPE schools, coupled with the
high drop-out rate, especially for girls.
ARTS VS SCIENCE SALARIES AND THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION: GOVT SUCCUMBS TO PRESSURE, INVITES STRIKING TEACHERS FOR A MEETING
The government
eventually succumbed to the teachers' strike pressure and invited them for a
meeting on July 1. Over 120,000 teachers across the country laid down tools
starting June 15 over what they termed as discriminative, a 300% salary
increment for the science teachers. The increment saw graduate science and
grade V teachers' pay pushed to Shs 4 million and Shs 3 million up from Shs 1.1
million and Shs 796,000 respectively.
The permanent secretary
of the Ministry of Public Service, Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire in a letter
dated June 27, invited the striking teachers to be represented by the Uganda
National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) secretary-general Filbert Baguma and four
union members for a meeting on July 1 at 2:00 pm. It remains to be seen if the
meeting will yield any positives after the last one with President Museveni
failed to resolve the impasse.
PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS: CHAPTER FOUR UGANDA RESUMES OPERATIONS
Chapter Four Uganda announced
the resumption of its operations nine months after being suspended by the NGO
Bureau. The announcement was made on Thursday in a press release by the NGO.
“We are delighted to officially announce to our clients, partners and
the people of Uganda that the office is now open, we have resumed operations
and all staff have returned to work.” the statement read. Welcoming staff back to the office,
Chapter Four’s board chair, Dr. Zahara Nampewo affirmed the NGO’s commitment to
defend legal rights and reclaim respect for civic spaces and freedoms in
Uganda.
Chapter Four Uganda was
among the 54 NGOs that government suspended in August last year over unclear
reasons. Following its closure, Chapter Four went to court to challenge the government’s decision which it said was unlawful and violated the
Non-Governmental Organizations Act.
Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/2022/06/30/chapter-four-resumes-operations/
ILLEGAL DETENTION AND
TORTURE WON’T BE TOLERATED, SAYS PRESIDENT MUSEVENI
President Museveni reiterated that cases of illegal detention, torture
and human rights violations will not be tolerated in Uganda amid growing
concerns of enforced disappearances, detention without trial and gross human
rights violations by security forces. “Cases
of illegal detention, torture and human rights violations will not be
tolerated. Torture is not only wrong but unnecessary,” Mr Museveni tweeted on
Thursday June 30, hours after meeting the Executive Director, Human Rights
Watch, Mr Kenneth Roth, and his team in Ntungamo on Wednesday June 29.
Mr Museveni’s meeting with Human Rights Watch officials came just days
after 2021 rights report compiled by Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and
released on June 13, 2022 painted a grim picture of torture in the country.
BUVUMA ISLANDERS ASK FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IN PARISH DEVELOPMENT MODEL (PDM)
The residents of Buvuma Island continue to struggle
with power shortages and inadequate facilities to cater for their health needs.
With the recent rolling out of the Parish Development Model (PDM) programme,
the residents hope to see a shift in their livelihood.
"We are not connected to the national power
grid, Mr Museveni promised us power but up to now we have not yet seen
it," Mr Edrian Dungu, the Buvuma District chairperson, said during the
Prime Minister’s visit. Mr Dungu said the district has almost four sub-counties
without the Health Centre IIIs and he is hopeful that the PDM with help in
addressing some of the issues.
Prime
Minister Ms Robinah Nabbanja in her response said that the government will
focus on building health centres and technical schools for the islanders.The
Prime Minister and other minister are currently traversing the country
mobilising locals about the PDM. On Wednesday, she visited Buvuma District
which is one of the islands in Lake Victoria.
PDM
programme which was officially launched by President Museveni on February 27,
2022, is aimed at getting 39 percent of the country’s 43 million
population that lives from hand-to-mouth, out of poverty.
REGIONAL UPDATE
UN
COMMITTEE URGES PROMPT INVESTIGATION INTO DEATHS OF MIGRANTS AT
MOROCCAN-SPANISH BORDER
The UN Committee
on Migrant Workers (CMW) on Tuesday, June 26 deplored the
incidents that led to the deaths of at least 23 migrants as they tried to cross
the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
It is yet to be determined whether the victims died
falling from the fence, in a stampede, or as a result of any actions taken by
the border control officers.
The independent experts urged the two States to
carry out immediate and thorough investigations and to hold those responsible
to account. To avoid the repetition of such tragedies, the Committee also asked
Morocco, Spain, and the other EU states to expand the availability of pathways
for safe and orderly migration, and take measures to guarantee and respect the
right to seek and receive asylum.
Source
and details: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/06/un-committee-urges-prompt-investigation-deaths-migrants-moroccan-spanish
CONCLUDING REMARKS
1.
In
the protection and promotion of human rights, the state has the primary duty of
ensuring that citizens’ rights are protected and upheld. Whereas human rights
work requires collective efforts, Civil Society Organizations working to defend
human rights are therefore very illustrious in this movement, and therefore
state institutions ought to accord the necessary support to these organizations
who not only defend rights but also contribute towards improving the working
environment of human rights defenders.
2. Judicial institutions most times referred to as “Custodians of the Law”, play a very fundamental role in the enforcement of human rights work through dispensing justice to victims of human rights abuses/ violations. As such, it is critical to note that judicial institutions ought to always work while fronting the doctrine of human rights protection and promotion as required by law.
Feel free to reach out to the HRCU’s
Legal Aid Section for any form of legal assistance.
Call now: 0800 333 000 or send an email to info@hrcug.org
Wishing you and your
loved ones a happy new month of July!
“Defending Human Rights Defenders”
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