HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO. 3 OF 2023

 

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 23^RD TO 29^TH JANUARY 2023

Dear reader,

Welcome to this new week!

At the start of last week, the Uganda National NGO Forum, a national platform for NGOs in Uganda with a membership of over 650 NGOs across the country, on Monday January 23, 2023 held the Civil Society New Year Statement under the theme “Fortifying Our Efforts in Standing for the Marginalized.” The statement was read by Ms. Margaret Sekaggya the Chairperson of the Board at Uganda National NGO Forum.

The statement highlighted some key continuing challenges and among these were: the state of national economy, the growing public debt, loss of confidence in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), shrinking of civic space and human rights situation and the increase in road accidents in the country.  Watch the full statement reading in a video by Civic Space TV by clicking here: https://youtu.be/6yrWbUFmYOo

CSO members from NGO Forum at the statement reading. | Photo: CCG

In other sad news, HRCU joins the HRDs’ fraternity to speak against the relentless murder of human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko on Saturday 21 January 2023. Rudolf was a Swaziland based human rights lawyer and an advocate for civic space. Impunity and attacks against HRDs must be condemned in the strongest terms. We hope that the government of Eswatini expeditiously conducts and concludes investigations into this murder and ensure justice for the deceased’s family. Details about this can be found here: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/fr/case/murder-human-rights-defender-and-lawyer-thulani-rudolf-maseko 

On Friday January 27, 2022, the Examination body, Uganda National Examination Board released the 2022 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results. Congratulations to all the candidates who excelled and the call goes to each one of us to continue supporting children as they acquire education right from primary level. This way, we ought to work hand in hand with other key stakeholders such as government to promote the right to education as provided for under Article 30 of the 1995 Uganda Constitution. 

KEY EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES 

2022 PLE RESULTS AND THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION: UNEB ASKS GOVT TO INCREASE UPE FUNDING

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) asked government to increase funding towards the Universal Primary Education (UPE) whose beneficiaries increased by 1.7 per cent in 2022.

On Friday, UNEB chairperson Prof Mary Okwakol decried limited funding yet UPE pupils have kept increasing in the last five years. According to UNEB, about 583,768 (70.1%) of the 832,654 2022 PLE candidates were pupils who sat exams at 11,306 UPE school centers across Uganda.

Uganda introduced the UPE program in 1997 to provide costless education to vulnerable people. Over the last two years, government cut its annual expenditure on each UPE child beneficiary from Shs20, 000 to Shs.14, 000.

Meantime, UNEB also appealed for more funding to cater for special interest groups, including persons with disabilities as they are also increasing.

UNEB informed that school head teachers can start picking the PLE results from the Board’s headquarters effective January 30.

UNEB Chairperson Prof Mary Okwakol (L) delivers her address during the release of PLE results at State House Nakasero on January 27, 2022. PHOTO/HANDOUT 

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uneb-asks-govt-to-increase-upe-funding-4101398

THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM TORTURE: SUSPECTS TORTURED IN POLICE, PRISON CELLS – NEW REPORT

A new report written by Advocates Without Boundaries revealed that there is evidence that detainees are also tortured in gazetted police cells and prison jails to extract information from suspects.

Previously, many suspects held under notoriously harsh forms of extralegal detention claimed to have been subjected to torture in ungazzeted safe houses and chieftaincy of military intelligence facilities.

According to the report titled “Baseline survey on pretrial detention,” many of the inmates interviewed, accused police officers, prison warders, and fellow inmates of torturing them in holding cells.

The research was conducted in West Nile, Northern, and Central Uganda. About 12 prison stations and five police cells were visited. These were chosen based on the high number of inmates on remand, available knowledge on the coverage and experience in prisons and police cells, and the possession of unique characteristics in some of the selected regions due to the available reports, such as the high number of refugees in detention.

Although there is a proper reporting mechanism in place to address the torture of suspects, prisoners reported that the mechanism was overlooked by the senior leadership of the prisons. Frustrated by the ineptness of the prison leadership, an inmate at Luzira Murchison Bay prison said, “Whenever a case of torture is reported to the officer in charge, he does not show any form of interest in handling such a case. This discourages us from reporting such cases.”

While meeting journalists at State House Nakasero in December 2022, President Yoweri Museveni blamed the different cases of torture and abductions on the rigid and tortuous upbringing of law enforcement officers.

A police truck near Kira road police station

Source: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/76629-suspects-tortured-in-police-prison-cells-new-report

TAYEBWA CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO SAME SEX VICES IN SCHOOLS

The Committee on Education was tasked to expeditiously carry out investigations into same-sex vices in schools. This followed a directive given on the matter by Speaker Anita Among on Wednesday, 18 January 2023.

On Tuesday, 24 January 2023, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa expressed concern over the deterioration of morals in schools.
“I am getting painful stories; if you talk to doctors, you get to know how serious it is but our children are dying in silence,” Tayebwa said.

Tayebwa said the report should be given urgent priority, noting that many schools and recruitment centres have been penetrated by the vice.
“I hope it [report] can be quick so that we can debate it and get a solution. We need to see how best we can work with government to support it…whether we can put more funding to patrol all these entities,” Tayebwa added.

Tayebwa (L) confers with the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga during the sitting of the House 

Source: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/6411/tayebwa-calls-investigation-same-sex-vices-schools

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE: MPUUGA PETITIONS PARLIAMENT OVER ABDUCTIONS

The Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga last week raised concerns over the continued abductions, torture and abuse of human rights.

Speaking on the floor of parliament, Mpuuga demanded that the issue be given due attention as it remains critical and of national importance.

This came after another National Unity Platform (NUP) party member, Anthony Agaba commonly known as Bobi Young was abducted over the weekend in Maya while on his way from Mbarara to Kampala.

According to Mpuuga, it is absurd that the prime minister and minister of defense have avoided meetings to find a long-lasting solution to the same even after the Uganda Human Rights Commission confirmed the issue at hand.

Last week, the rights body confirmed only seven missing persons as opposed to the 25 presented by NUP and said they are still tracing the other 18 members on the list.

Source: https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/mpuuga-petitions-parliament-over-abductions.html

SPEAKER NAMES SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE NSSF

Speaker of parliament, Anita Among named a seven-member select committee chaired by Mbarara South MP, Mwine Mpaka to investigate alleged mismanagement at National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Other committee members include Mbale City Industrial Division MP Karim Masaba, Entebbe Municipality MP Micheal Kakembo, Kyotera Woman MP Fortunate Nantongo, Workers MP Charles Bakkambulindi, Rwampara County MP Amos Kankunda and Laura Kanushu, the National Woman representative for People with Disabilities.

According to the terms of reference, the committee is expected to examine corporate governance structures at NSSF, examine circumstances surrounding the appointment of the managing director, evaluate the status and safety of savers' money, examine the extent of stakeholder engagement in decision making and inquire into any other matters incidental thereto.

Embattled NSSF MD Richard Byarugaba

Source: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/76639-speaker-names-select-committee-to-investigate-nssf

UGANDA LAUNCHES FIRST OIL DRILLING PROGRAMME

Uganda on Tuesday January 24, 2023 officially launched an oil drilling programme as it seeks to join the club of crude-producing nations with a mega-project that has incensed environmental groups.

The Kingfisher field is part of a $10 billion scheme to develop Uganda's oil reserves under a lake in the west of the country and build a vast pipeline to ship the crude to international markets via an Indian Ocean port in Tanzania.

"The president (Yoweri Museveni) has officially commissioned the start of drilling campaign on the Kingfisher oilfield," the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) said on Twitter, describing the development as a "milestone".

The discovery of oil at Lake Albert in 2006 sparked high hopes of an economic boost for Uganda, a landlocked East African country where many live in poverty. 

There are an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of crude under the lake, of which about 1.4 billion are recoverable. The reserves are expected to last up to 30 years, with production peaking at 230,000 barrels a day. 

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (C-L) alongside other local and government leaders launch the Kingfisher oil field in Kikuube district on January 24, 2023. PHOTO / AFP

Source:  https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-launches-first-oil-drilling-programme-4097928

CONCLUDING REMARKS

1.   The call goes to all States and stakeholders to ensure that HRDs are well protected and safeguarded in the course of their work. Deliberate attacks and threats on HRDs should be condemned and all measures must be put in place to avoid the possible occurrence of such attacks. May the soul of human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko rest in eternal peace. It is against this background that we appeal to all stakeholders in Uganda and HRDs to expedite and immensely support the passing of the HRDProtection Bill, 2020 in order to provide a legal and safeguarding framework for the working environment of HRDs in the country.

2.   “Section 10 of the Human Rights Enforcement Act, 2018. Act holds public officers like police officers and prison officers individually liable for the violation of a person’s rights or freedoms committed either individually or in a group.” Torture is a crime under national and international law. According to all relevant instruments and laws such as the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2012, torture as an act is absolutely prohibited and cannot be justified under any circumstances. Law enforcers must act within the law and also respect the rights of suspected criminals and convicts accordingly.

3.   In the course of last week, Uganda officially launched an oil drilling programme; this is a milestone in the drilling processes for Uganda’s oil and a projection for job creation and economic growth. However, it is key that the drilling processes are in accordance with the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. This is to ensure that rights including environmental rights are upheld.

Thank you for reading. Happy new week!