HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO. 26 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 18TH TO 24THJULY, 2022
Dear
reader,
Welcome
to a new week!
Please receive and read through this week’s edition
of our weekly updates compiled from last week which we will begin with a look at
COVID-19 and the monkeypox virus followed by the key emerging human rights
issues.
COVID-19
UPDATES
Results of COVID-19 tests done on 22 July 2022
confirm 21 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases are 168,999. The breakdown
of the new cases is: 21 Alerts and Contacts: Kampala (16), Mbarara (2), Jinja
(1), Isingiro (1), Wakiso (1)
Source:https://twitter.com/MinofHealthUG
PUBLIC
HEALTH (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021: LEGISLATORS REJECT MANDATORY VACCINATION
Parliament rejected the proposed compulsory
vaccination of adults that is provided for under the Public Health (Amendment)
Bill, 2021. The government had proposed under the bill that was approved that
persons who fail to comply with a requirement for vaccination would be fined up
to Shillings four million or serve a jail term of six months.
The Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng proposed
in the bill that in the event of an occurrence or outbreak of any disease that
requires vaccination or revaccination for residents, a local government council
shall issue a public notice requesting all persons to undergo inspection,
vaccination, and revaccination.
Source:https://www.independent.co.ug/legislators-reject-compulsory-vaccination/
MONKEYPOX
UPDATES
WORLD
HEALTH ORGANISATION DECLARES MONKEYPOX A GLOBAL EMERGENCY AMID SURGE IN CASES
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the
monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries an “emergency of international
concern”.
The WHO label – a “public health emergency of
international concern” – is designed to sound an alarm that a coordinated
international response is needed and could unlock funding and global efforts to
collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made
the decision to issue the declaration despite a lack of consensus among experts
serving on the UN health agency’s emergency committee. It was the first time
the chief of the UN health agency took such an action.
KEY
EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
KARAMOJA
HUNGER CRISIS: GOVT SENDS MORE RELIEF FOOD TO KARAMOJA
The government dispatched 790 metric tonnes of
relief food to Karamoja Sub-region, whose people are on the brink of
starvation.
The Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and
Refugees, Mr Hilary Onek, flagged off 552 metric tonnes of maize flour and 238
metric tonnes of beans at the Office of Prime Minister Stores in Namanve, Wakiso
District.
This is the second time the government is sending
food to Karamoja in two weeks. It sent 2,000 metric tonnes of food last week.
Mr Onek said the food is targeting 600,000 people in
Kotido, Kaabong, Moroto, Napak, Karenga and Nabilatuk districts that are worst
hit by famine.
He attributed the hunger to the effects of climate change, cattle rustling and
insecurity. Mr Onek said the Ministry of Agriculture will provide
seeds to enable Karimojongs to plant since the rain season has started.
Source:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/govt-sends-more-relief-food-to-karamoja-3885720
THE
RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND PERSONAL LIBERTY: TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS CASES
INCREASE BY 400%
Cases
of human trafficking have increased by more than 400 percent in the last five
years, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo, has said.
Justice Abodo revealed that between January 2020 and June 2022, they recorded
717 cases of child trafficking, of which 451 were sexually exploited, 105
exported for labour, 41 were both sexually and labor exploited with 19 being
sacrifised in rituals. While speaking at a conference in Kampala, Justice Abodo
said the cases are complex and often involve organized crime syndicates,
terrorism, fraudulent financial schemes, and sensitive victim issues.
“Poverty, lack of employment opportunities,
discrimination, difficult family circumstances, conflicts in neigbouring
countries, and the legal and social inequality of women and girls are factors
that make some Ugandan children vulnerable to trafficking,” the DPP
said.
Source:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/trafficking-of-persons-cases-increase-by-400--3883444
COMPUTER MISUSE
(AMENDMENT) BILL AND DIGITAL RIGHTS: NSEREKO SEEKS TOUGH PENALTIES IN NEW
CYBER LAW
Kampala Central Member of Parliament, Muhammad Nsereko tabled for first reading the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill which creates a new set of offenses punishable with lengthy jail terms and fines.
The object of the Bill, which is the executive summary of its key provisions, highlights the intentions behind the proposed legislation.
“…to prohibit the sharing of any
information relating to a child without authorization from a parent or guardian;
to prohibit the sending or sharing of information that promotes hate speech; to
provide for the prohibition of sending or sharing false, malicious, and
unsolicited information,” reads the object in part.
Nsereko said Ugandan’s privacy rights are affected by bellicose messages on social media which violation he said extends to children and has to be curbed.
“The enjoyment of the right to
privacy is being affected by the abuse of online and social media platforms
through the sharing of unsolicited, false, malicious, hateful, and unwarranted
information. Regrettably, some of these abuses have also stretched to children
where information about or that relates to them is shared on social media
platforms without their parents’ or guardians’ consent,” said Nsereko.
Source:https://www.independent.co.ug/nsereko-seeks-tough-penalties-in-new-cyber-law/
THE
RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING/TRIAL: STATE NOT
READY TO TRY MPS SSEGIRINYA & SSEWANYANA
Prosecutors in a case in which Makindye West
Member of Parliament Allan Ssewanyana and Kawempe North Member of Parliament
Muhammad Ssegirinya are charged with murder among other charges asked the
International Crimes Division of the High at Kololo to give them 30 days to
travel to the greater Masaka district and carry out interviews with
witnesses and give them protection.
These led by Senior prosecutors; Richard
Birivumbuka and Joseph Kyomuhendo made the call while appearing before
Justice Jane Elizabeth Alidviza for the pre hearing of the said case.
However, Defense Lawyers led by Kampala Lord Mayor
EriasLukwago, objected to the said submission on ground that it is only intended
to delay justice to their clients.Lukwago told Court that, during the hearing
of the MP'S bail application, prosecution strongly objected to their temporary
release saying they are ready to start prosecuting the accused persons but now
to turn around to ask the 30 days adjourned is unfair.
However, justice Alidviza declined to give them more
time accusing them of being unserious and set the pre-hearing date on the 28th
of this month. She further ordered Kigo Prisons to physically produce the two
legislators in court to attend their trial throughout after the MPs were not
produced in Court yet there co accused attended Court physically.
Source:https://capitalradio.co.ug/news/latest/2022-07-19-state-not-ready-to-try-mps-ssegirinya-ssewanyana/
MUSEVENI
RETURNS MINING AND MINERALS BILL TO PARLIAMENT
President Yoweri Museveni returned the Mining and Minerals Bill, 2021 to parliament for reconsideration. The bill which seeks to improve mining and mineral administration and business processes, and promote value addition to minerals was passed by parliament on February 17 and sent to the president for assent.
In a letter dated June 18, 2022, Museveni advised parliament to delete clause 8 on the definition of large-scale mining, because it defines large-scale mining to mean, international mining of minerals in a mechanized operation involving excavation of a large surface pit or underground openings.
Museveni also advised
that clause 33 on the establishment of a tribunal to deal with appeals against
the decision of the minister should be substituted with an appeal being made to
the High court within 30-days of receipt of the decision. He says that the
establishment of a tribunal contradicts the ongoing process of rationalization
and merging of agencies. Speaker Among directed the environment and natural
resources committee of parliament to handle the named clauses expeditiously.
Source:https://observer.ug/news/headlines/74405-museveni-returns-mining-and-minerals-bill-to-parliament
CONCLUDING
REMARKS
1. As the World Health Organization
(WHO) declared the monkeypox virus a global emergency, it is important for
governments to raise awareness about the monkeypox virus; educate the public on how
to prevent the spread of monkeypox, and further educate medical workers on how
to handle any suspected monkeypox cases.
2. Human trafficking as an act is a violation of the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms. Important to note, that human trafficking practices are prohibited under international human rights law treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women with reference to Article 6, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article. 35), also contain a substantive reference to human trafficking. In addition, the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have repeatedly avowed that human trafficking violates and impairs fundamental human rights and freedoms. It’s therefore important for the application of the human rights-based approach in addressing human trafficking by ensuring that every aspect of the national, regional, and international response to trafficking is anchored in the rights and obligations established by international human rights law.
We
thank you for reading and wish you a happy new week
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