HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO. 44 OF 2022
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)
WEEKLY UPDATE ON KEY
EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WITHIN THE WORKING ENVIROMENT OF HRDS IN UGANDA
THE WEEK OF 28TH
NOVEMBER TO 4TH DECEMBER 2022
Dear
reader,
Welcome to
this new week!
Please
receive and read through some of the key issues that emerged from last week
within the human rights and human rights defenders context in Uganda.
HRCU
invites you to virtually attend and participate in the 5th Annual
Women Human Rights Defenders Conference happening this week on Wednesday
December 7, 2022 at Mestil Hotel, Nsambya from 9:00am.
Click here
to register: https://t.co/f83q99SY5s
HEALTH WATCH
EBOLA
LOCKDOWN: LEADERS ASK PRESIDENT TO EASE EBOLA RESTRICTIONS
Leaders
in Mubende District asked President Museveni to ease the restrictions
instituted to curb the spread of Ebola. Mr Michael Ntambi Muhereza, the Mubende
LC5 chairperson, said: “The challenge
with the extended lockdown is that a number of households have no food yet the
children are home for holidays.”
Ms.
Grania Hope Nakazibwe, the Mubende District Woman MP, said the recent 21-day
lockdown extension was a bit high-handed. She added that a number of
stakeholders were not consulted on the matter.
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS:
COVID VACCINATION CERTIFICATE REQUIRED
FOR ACCESS TO GOVT OFFICES- MUSEVENI
President Museveni on Friday evening last week
resurrected Covid-19 restrictions ordering that those who have not been
vaccinated to stay away from public gatherings.
In a televised address about the health situation in
the country, Mr. Museveni said the National Task Force on Covid-19 had reviewed
the current situation in the country and made recommendations aimed at avoiding
a resurgence and flare up of infections. These, he said must be adopted for
implementation with immediate effect.
Among the new restrictions include; having a
certificate of vaccination with evidence of up-to-date boosting in order to be
allowed entry into formal meetings and public places such as religious gatherings,
local council meetings, and other social meetings. Where there is no up
to date vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test within 24 hours must be
presented to be allowed access.
The president also said that a Covid-19 vaccination
certificate will be required to access offices at all government ministries,
departments and agencies and other public and private offices. The use of
masks, the president also said is recommended for all individuals in enclosed
places and public gatherings.
LAND
RIGHTS: DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC PROSECUTION JOINS FIGHT TO CURB LAND GRABBING
In a bid to curb the ongoing cases of Land grabbing
in the Country, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with REDEEM International for
effective identification, investigation and prosecution of selected
property grabbing related crimes and the maximization of the ODPP’s capacity
and constructive impact in the prosecution of land crimes.
On his behalf, Greg Tarrant, Chief Operating
Officer REDEEM International noted that the safety of orphans, widows and
vulnerable people is the most important thing that the justice system can
guarantee and reminded the ODPP that there vision is to ensure a
crime free society.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Jane Frances
Abodo appreciated the partnership saying, “Land crimes cases form the highest
percentage of cases we handle, and this is worrying because these land disputes
more often than not result in the commission of other crimes as serious as
murder and unlawful evictions ".
She noted that once they tackle them, they shall
have put a dent on a wide range of criminal practices in Uganda highlighting that
the ODPP is doing a good job in prosecuting land-related cases and defending
the rights of vulnerable persons amidst many and varied constraints such as
limited resources, inadequate staff and the need to retool the capacity of ODPP.
ENFORCED
DISAPPEARANCES AND THE RIGHT TO PERSONAL LIBERTY: POLICE BLOCKS PRESS
CONFERENCE ADDRESSING STATE ABDUCTIONS
Police last week blocked a press conference by human
rights organizations that had been called to talk about the current
wave of state abductions in the country.
Journalists had gathered at 4R
Restaurant at Centenary Park, in Kampala but police arrived a few
minutes before the press conference could start and said it had not been
cleared. Plain-clothed and uniformed police asked the restaurant manager and
organizers to cancel the press conference, claiming that they
were unaware of such a gathering. Police further asked the
journalists to leave the area before it takes further action.
“What is this
gathering for? Are you journalists? Personally, as an individual, I like
you people and I have always interacted with a number of you, but what I don’t
want is this thing according to the intelligence network was
not sanctioned by the IGP, so we don’t know why this gathering is
here. So with due respect, I make a request to you, to pick
up our machines, and then we move away, kindly,” said the police officer
whose name tag read Igune.
Ronald Katushabe, one of
the organizers, said African Justice Media,
Rubaga Social Justice Center, the African Libertarian
Union, and the Human Rights Defenders’ Union had joined efforts
to voice concerns over the new trend of abductions. He said that they are
against the kidnaps of people without trial.
GOVT,
ILO LAUNCH MODEL TO INTENSIFY FIGHT AGAINST CHILD LABOUR
Over 73,500 people are set to benefit from Shs.88.8
billion Social Finance Model which aims at fighting child labour in Uganda.
A brainchild of the International Labour
Organization (ILO), the Social Finance Model was launched by Betty Amongi
Ongom, the minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development. Through
accelerating action for the elimination of child labour in supply chains in
Africa (ACCEL Africa), Social Finance Model will benefit the people of Kikuube,
Hoima, Buikwe, Mbale, Sironko, Bulambuli and Kabarole districts.
According to the 2021 National Labour Force Survey
(NLFS) which was released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), a total of
6.2 million children aged five to 17 years were engaged in some form of child
labour excluding household chores in 2020.
The largest share of child labour is prevalent in
the agriculture sector where children are employed as unpaid family workers. At
least 19.5 per cent of children in rural areas are engaged in child labour
compared to 11.3 per cent in urban areas.
Source:https://observer.ug/news/headlines/76052-govt-ilo-intensify-fight-against-child-labour
COURT
DECLARES PENAL CODE ACT SECTIONS 168 (1) C AND D NULL & VOID
A panel of five justices of the Constitutional Court
unanimously declared as null and void Sections 168(1) c and d of the penal code
Act that create the offence of roguery and vagrancy.
The five Justices led by Frederick Egonda – Ntende
noted that the impugned provisions of the penal code Act can no longer be
constitutionally permissible for being vague, ambiguous, and too broad to
sufficiently define a particular offence committed by an individual.
The justices hence ruled that any attempt to deprive
any individual of his/ her personal liberty on an act of this offence is
a contravention of their right to liberty yet the offence is not precisely
defined to warrant loss of rights.
The Court therefore went into agreement with the
petitioners from the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) that
there is no further justification for the Attorney General to keep a law that
contravenes the right of an individual to move freely throughout Uganda.
According to the HRAPF Executive Director Dr. Adrian
Jjuuko, the offense of roguery and vagrancy and other petty offences such as
being idle and disorderly and being a common nuisance were farmed by the
colonial master to clump down on the poor.
He then called on parliament to exercise its mandate
and have the other petty offenses knocked out from the constitution of Uganda
having attained her independence.
Source:https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/court-declares-section-168-1-c-null-and-void.html
CONCLUDING
REMARKS
1.
Last week, Uganda joined the world to commemorate
World Aids Day on December 1, 2022 under the global theme “Equalize,” along
with the Uganda national theme, “Ending Inequalities Among Adolescent Girls,
Young Women and Boys”. Important
to note is the need for equality and fair treatment especially with people
living with HIV. We also need put in place strides geared towards putting an
end to HIV infections such as advocacy initiatives, collaboration and
partnership between State and non state institution. In addition, the
Government of Uganda should operationalise the AIDS Trust Fund in order to
achieve HIV zero infection by 2030.
2.
Child labour as an act infringes on the rights of
children as provided for under Article 34 of the 1995 Uganda Constitution and
under the Children (Amendment) Act, 2016. Therefore the Shs.88.8 billion Social
Finance Model recently launched by Hon. Betty Amongi Ongom, the Minister of
Gender, Labour and Social Development, will play a key role in protecting
children from child labour and further promoting their rights. HRDs working on
issues of children are encouraged to closely work with and support this model
so that rights of children in Uganda are protected, promoted and realized.
3.
Land is a critical natural resource for both women
and men in Uganda. It has many values and functions, and these overlaid characteristics
make it even more critical for people’s livelihoods as it is key to human
existence and contributes largely to the socio-economic transformation and
development of the country. The signing of an MOU between the ODPP and REDEEM
International is a big step which will support the work of HRDs working on land
related issues and also the implementation of Uganda’s National Land Policy
which provides a framework for articulating the role of land in national
development, land ownership, distribution, utilization, alienability,
management and control of land in Uganda.
Thank you
for reading. We wish you a happy and fruitful week.
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