HRCU WEEKLY ANALYSIS | 3RD - 9TH MARCH 2025
WEEKLY
UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND KEY EMERGING ISSUES WITH IN THE WORKING ENVIROMENT
OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
THE
WEEK OF 3RD TO 9TH MARCH 2025
Dear
Reader,
Welcome
to this week where we expect more vigilance regarding the promotion and
protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. As a human rights
defender, wherever you may be placed, your work and labor is not in vain. You
will surely get a reward for standing up for justice in your community; for
standing up for the truth and for making sure that all people are treated with
mutual love and respect.
Some
of the highlights of human rights and key emerging issues from last week
included the following:
BISHOP
JJUMBA CONDEMNS BRUTALITY IN KAWEMPE NORTH ELECTIONS AS MASAKA MARKS ASH
WEDNESDAY
The Masaka Diocesan Bishop, Serverus Jjumba, has asked
Christians to dedicate this year’s Lenten season to praying against the acts of
brutality orchestrated by security personnel.
On Monday, fresh chaos erupted again at the National
Unity Party offices in Makerere Kavule, where NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi
Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) and other political leaders were leading a procession to a
rally for Elias Nalukoola, the party’s candidate in the Kawempe North
by-election.
Masked operatives of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce
fired tear gas and beat up NUP supporters before they arrested 16 of them. The
16 supporters were remanded to Luzira prison for obstruction, malicious damage,
and common nuisance charges. Several others are nursing injuries in
hospitals over the brutality.
Elias Luyimbazi Nalukool, the NUP candidate for Kawempe
North MP By-election was also beaten during nomination before he was arrested
and later released without charge. A journalist, Miracle Ibra, is still nursing
an eye injury after he was struck by an object by the operatives.
SECURITY EXCESSES IN KAWEMPE NORTH BY-ELECTIONS CONDEMNED
Members of Parliament have
criticised security agencies for their interference and excessive force used in
the campaigns of the Kawempe North by-election raising concerns about electoral
violence and the state’s approach to democracy.
The condemnation of the actions of the security forces
followed a statement by the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Hon. David
Muhoozi to Parliament on Thursday, 06 March 2025 following the brutality
unleashed on people in the ongoing campaigns.
Muhoozi’s statement came after reports detailing
skirmishes between security forces and supporters of the National Unity
Platform (NUP) resulting in 24 arrests, including two Members of Parliament and
brutalising of a journalist.
Muhoozi said that those detained would be presented in
court, and any reported excesses would be thoroughly investigated and
addressed.
Source: Parliament of Uganda: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/3627/security-excesses-kawempe-north-elections-condemned
POLICE PATROLS TO GO ELECTRIC TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
Government has unveiled a pilot programme to introduce
electric vehicles for police patrols as part of efforts to combat climate
change.
The initiative was announced by the State Minister for
Water and Environment, Hon. Beatrice Anywar, while responding to MPs’ concerns
during the plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa on Thursday
6 March 2025.
During the previous day’s sitting, the Chairperson of the
Committee on Climate Change, Hon. Lawrence Songa, had warned of impending heavy
rains and floods linked to the current heatwave. He urged the government to
adopt proactive disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies.
“This heat wave affects health, agriculture and the
economy. Increased evaporation from Lake Victoria will likely cause heavy
rainfall and flooding. We must focus on preparedness rather than reactive
relief efforts,” he cautioned.
He also criticized the country’s inefficient transport
system, stating, “Our traffic jams generate excessive heat, increasing emissions.
We burn too much fuel and waste money on vehicle maintenance.”
Shadow Minister for Environment, Hon. Christine Kaaya,
(NUP, Kiboga District Woman), emphasized the need for a comprehensive
government response.
Source: Parliament of
Uganda: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/3628/police-patrols-go-electric-combat-climate-change
UGANDANS
HAPPY WITH NRM, MUSEVENI – POLL
The first poll linked to the 2025-26 election year is
out.
On Feb.26, Afrobarometer, the Pan-African non-profit and
non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on Africans’
experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life,
released a batch of data that should leave the ruling NRM party and President
Yoweri Museveni happy.
The Afrobarometer national partner in Uganda, Hatchile
Consult Ltd., interviewed a nationally representative, random, stratified
probability sample of 2,400 adult citizens. A sample of this size yields
country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points at a 95%
confidence level.
This is the 12th survey of this type that Afrobarometer
is conducting and publishing on Uganda. The interviews were conducted between
Jan.16 and Feb.01, last year, and Afrobarometer has since October 2024
consistently released batches of data on specific areas of the survey findings.
The data has good news for the NRM party and President
Yoweri Museveni.
When asked which particular political party they feel
close to, most respondents at 41% said they feel close to the NRM. The National
Unity Platform was a distant second at 9%, FDC 3%, UPC 1.5% and others 1% or
less. Significantly, up to 36% of respondents said they do not feel close to
any party.
SOLDIER KILLS WIFE, ATTEMPTS SUICIDE AT NAKASEKE MILITARY
TRAINING SCHOOL
A soldier at Kaweweta Basic Military Training School in
Nakaseke District fatally shot his wife before attempting to take his own life,
authorities have confirmed.
The incident occurred on Monday, March 3, at around 3pm,
according to a police statement issued by Savannah Region Police spokesperson
ASP Sam Twiineamazima.
The deceased, identified as Kella Kebirungi Adyeri, was
reportedly shot by her husband, Lance Corporal Denis Sserunkuma, a soldier
stationed at the Kaweweta army training school in Kinyogoga Sub-county.
"Preliminary information indicates that the suspect
was married to the deceased, and they were residing together in their
grass-thatched house within the Kaweweta army barracks," ASP Twiineamazima
stated.
Source:
Nile Post: https://nilepost.co.ug/index.php/top-stories/245887/soldier-kills-wife-attempts-suicide-at-nakaseke-military-training-school
- Beyond the political question and
contests for different seats, Ugandans are reminded that what matters the
most is treating everyone with due respect. Varying in opinion is healthy
but the challenge will always come when one is attacked and punished for
their dissent.
- The right to life is enshrined in
Article 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and to that end,
no one shall be deprived of life intentionally except in execution of a
sentence passed in a fair trial by a court of competent jurisdiction in
respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Uganda and the conviction
and sentence have been confirmed by the highest appellate court. Why would
one then summarily terminate or end the life of another? What does one
benefit by killing another? These are some of the rhetorical questions
that linger in the mind of a right thinking member of society.
- The result is that if we could
all respect and uphold the basic principles of Universality, Inherency,
Inalienability, Indivisibility and Non-discrimination of human rights, we
will have a better environment not only for human rights defenders but all
human beings to thrive and advance in all that they do.
- In protecting lives and promoting
human rights and fundamental liberties, there is need to put equal effort
in protection of the environment because that is where we live, move and
have our being. Destroying the environment leads to worse or devastating
situations including gross effects on the weather patterns and climate
change. We ought to take deliberate action to co-exist well with
nature.
WISHING YOU A FRUITFUL WEEK
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