Watchdog Uganda
Kino kiddiridde okunonyereza kwa Poliisi okulaga nti omukyala Dorothy Ndagire 27 omutuuze we Kawala mu Lubaga nti yabadde emabega w’okusolooza abaana bano okuva mu bazadde baabwe ne lkigendererwa eky’okubayamba kyokka nga bwe babamukwasa nga asalako empuliziganya n’abazadde, nasalawo okutandika okubayigiriza ebikolwa eby’obuseegu.
Kitegerekese nti Ndagire abadde yagunjaawo ekitongole ky’obwanakyewa ekimanyiddwanga Maya Project Uganda Chapter, ekitali kiwandiise mu mateeka nekitongole ekifuga ebitongole by’obwanakyewa mu Ggwanga.
Era kyazuuliddwa nti Ndagire abadde amaze akabanga nga akolagana ne bitongole ebitumbula obuseegu ebisangibwa e London mu Bungereza nga eno gyabadde ajja ensimbi eziyimirizaawo emirimu gye mu Uganda.
Amyuka Omwogezi wa Poliisi mu Kampala ne miriraano Luke Oweyesigyire mu kiwandiiko kye yafulumizza ku lw’omukaaga agamba nti ab aana abasangiddwa mu kiyumba baabadde wakati wa myaka 4-19 nga bano kigambibwa nti baabadde bagenda kukukusibwa Ndagire batwalibwe ebweru we Ggwanga.
Yagambye nti mu kiseera kino bagezaako okulondoola balabe abaana bano gye bajjibwa saako ne bazadde baabwe basobole okubazaayo mu maka gye baava.
“Omuzadde yenna eyakolaganako ne Ndagire n’amuwa omwana nga yeyagalidde oba nga yakakibwa bukakibwa jjangu ku Poliisi ye Kabalagala tulabe bwoddizibwa omwana wo nga okunonyereza bwe kugenda mu maaso okumanya ebigendererwa ebituufu okuva ku Ndagire.
Abaana mu kiseera kino baliko amaka agalabirira abaana gye bakuumirwa.
]]>How Government has prioritized political administration over citizen’s welfarehttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210725/117964/how-government-has-prioritized-political-administration-over-citizens-welfare.html Sun, 25 Jul 2021 08:30:30 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117964Information concerning Ugandans having received suspected fake COVID-19 vaccines is an indicator of a state failing to police social service delivery.The interpretation of a private sector-driven economy by the government needs to be re-visited to appreciate that social services like Health and Education can’t be left to the private sector for the very reason of profit maximization being preferred over the quality of life and welfare.
To understand how toxic the private sector-led economy can be in absence of regulation from a strong arm of government, just take look at how private health facilities are pricing treatment of COVID-19, albeit the reasons they advance. Again, examine how the prices covid treatment drugs have escalated as if the market is run by a cartel.
Ugandans seem to be in a hopeless situation of an absent government when it comes to the welfare of its citizens but very present in political and military administration.
For instance, Uganda’s wage bill on public administration over ailing and underfunded public facilities fails logic in all ways. For the last two Financial Years 2019/20 and 2020/21, the government has allocated over Shs 600bn ($168.6m) on Public Sector Management.
This investment is a reflection of what the public is currently seeing in the health sector concerning staffing and remunerating health workers. Because the market dictates, most health workers have sought greener pastures in private practice.
Conversely, according to reports by Alliance for Election Campaign Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), Uganda’s biggest problem is its politics.
Maintaining the political machinery under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is at the expense of the welfare of Ugandans. According to the findings by ACFIM, most of the public resources are invested in the burgeoning political administration.
Consider the resources government spends on maintaining the bloated parliament, cabinet, advisors, Resident District Commissioners, Local Council leaders with a minimum return on investment.
Government’s expense on administrations only
For instance, over Shs158bn ($44.2m) is going to be spent annually on the monthly remuneration of the 11th Parliament that has 527 members. On this add the 130 advisors of the president on average, each of the advisors earns a gross monthly salary of Shs 2.2 million ($616) totalling over Shs 2.8 billion ($784.3 thousand) annually.
Currently, according to the records from the President’s office, Uganda has 145 Resident District Commissioners (RDC) and 87 deputy RDCs Every month, RDCs earnShs2.2m ($616), while their deputies earn Shs1.8m ($504) cumulatively amounting to Shs3.8 bn ($1.6 m) and Shs163.4m ($45.7 thousand) respectively annually.
District chairpersons countrywide earn Shs1.5m ($420) monthly minus allowances which translates into Shs2.62bn ($732.882) spent annually. The figures are higher for Municipal and City mayors plus the 82-member cabinet remunerations the expenditure on political offices burgeons.
Budget allocations to security even when the country is considerably at peace with most of its neighbours in the region presupposes whose priorities are on entrenching regime survival through military presence and control of masses including quelling political dissent and alternative voices. Politics aside; Where is the government when Ugandans are vaccinated with fake COVID vaccines? Where is the government when Ugandans are facing an oxygen crisis?
Where is the government when prices for COVID-related treatment drugs including the indigenous innovation of covidex, keep rising like it’s a stock market of cartels? Where is the government when critically ill covid patients are turned away from hospitals because they have run out of hospital beds and ICU facilities?
The government’s silence, while ruthless owners of private hospitals are charging exorbitantly to treat COVID, is a piece of clear evidence that the welfare of Ugandans is not among the priorities. Even in isolated circumstances when the government is present in the welfare of its citizens, it’s always playing catch up after deafening public noise. (The best example is the Covid-19 relief funds).
According to Makerere University don Prof Mwambutsya Ndebesa, Uganda is such a state because of a political system that is underpinned on patronage which makes it very impossible to fighting corruption which is the root cause of the unfair treatment by the state.
]]>Uganda is now an orphan! Fr Gaetano attacks opposition MPs for siding with NRM counterparts to pocket Shs200m car money in times of Covid-19 pandemic https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210725/117961/uganda-is-now-an-orphan-fr-gaetano-attacks-opposition-mps-for-siding-with-nrm-counterparts-to-pocket-shs200m-car-money-in-times-of-covid-19-pandemic.html Sun, 25 Jul 2021 07:25:46 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117961The Priest of Kitanga Parish in the Kabale Diocese, Rev. Fr. Gaetano Batanyenda has described Uganda as “Politically widowed and orphaned,†after the opposition remained silent about the money released by government to buy cars for MPs.This week, the government of Uganda started remitting UGX 200M to each of the 529 legislators and ex-officials in the 11th parliament, to enable them buy cars.
This has sparked public outrage with many accusing governments of neglecting the fight against COVID-19 to fund parliament.
The development comes at a time when there is public outcry over high expenses met by COVID-19 patients because of the absence of medicines and other medical equipment in government hospitals.
Fr. Gaetano now says he is mostly disappointed with opposition MPs who have joined their counterparts in the ruling NRM party to receive the UGX 200M at the expense of the people they represent.
He says the act of the Opposition MPs leaves Ugandans widowed and orphaned politically.
While quoting the Biblical story in which Jesus Christ cried in despair a few hours before his crucifixion, Fr. Gaetano says it is time for Ugandans to recite the cry, †Father Father, why have you forsaken us†in expression of their frustration.
Fr. Gaetano challenged President Museveni to come out and condemn the remitting of such amount of money to MPs at a time when the government is struggling to raise money for COVID-19 vaccines, medicines and oxygen plants at COVID-19 treatment centers.
On several occasions, President Museveni has accused MPs of being “selfish†by increasing their own salaries, exempting their allowances from tax, among others, and he once threatened to abolish parliament.
However, the Director of Communications at parliament Chris Obore defended government saying that buying cars for each MP should not shock anyone since is a ritual done after every five years.
At the close of every month, an MP is assured of UGX 6.1M net salary besides a string of benefits that include a housing allowance of UGX 6.5M, constituency support fund of UGX 17.03M and a town running fee of UGX1.945M.
Ministers or Ex-officials that don’t represent any constituency are exempted from the constituency fund. The MPs that fetch the highest mileage are the national MPs, usually, the national youth representatives, UPDF, PWDs and Workers MPs.
]]>Sipiika Oulanya kyadaaki akomyewo mu Ggwanga okuva e Bungereza mu kasirisehttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210725/117955/sipiika-oulanya-kyadaaki-akomyewo-mu-ggwanga-okuva-e-bungereza-mu-kasilise.html Sun, 25 Jul 2021 07:12:22 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117955Omukubiriza w’olukiiko lwe Ggwanga olukulu Jacob Oulanya kyadaaki amaze nakomawo mu Ggwanga mu kasilise okuva e Bungereza gyabadde okumala akaseera.Oulanya yayingidde Uganda ku makya g’olwomukaaga nga ayita ku kisaawe Entebbe, oluvanyuma ab’omumakaage ne bamukima okumutwala mu makaage agasangibwa e Muyenga mu Kampala.
Ono abadde amaze ebbanga lya mwezi gumu ne kitundu nga tali mu Ggwanga era nga yasemba okulabikako mu lujjudde bwe yali akubiriza olutuula lwa Palimenti omwali okusoma Bajeti e Kololo.
Okuva ku olwo Oulanya abadde talabikako ekyatuusizza n’ababaka okutandika okwebuuza ekituufu ekibadde kyamutuukako.
Mu kusooka waaliwo engambo nti oba oli awo yali ayodde ekilwadde kya Covid, kyokka akulira ebyamawulire mu Palimenti Chris Obore navaayo nategeeza nti tekyali kituufu, wabula omukulu yali agenzeeko Bungereza kukyalira ku Bantu be abawangaalira eyo.
Ababaka babadde bategese ku mande okuvaayo okubuuza omumyuka we wa mukama wabwe gye yalaga kyokka babadde bakyali awo ate amawulire ne gafuluma nti yakomyewo mu Ggwanga nti era agenda kuddamu okukakkalabya emirimu gye mu bbanga elitali lyawala.
]]>He ate Museveni’s money and refused to support him! Man who almost killed Tamale Mirundi’s son recently speaks outhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210725/117951/he-ate-musevenis-money-and-refused-to-support-him-man-who-almost-killed-tamale-mirundis-son-recently-speaks-out.html Sun, 25 Jul 2021 07:09:39 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117951Kisakyamukama, the man who beat up Tamale Mirundi’s son recently has revealed why he pounced at the young man.In March this year, Kisakyamukama attacked Tamale Mirundi Junior and beat him severely. The physical attack led to the admission of Junior to a city health facility where he spent days receiving medical care.
Appearing on STV’s Select E-Buzz show on Saturday, Kisakyamukama said he assaulted Mirundi Junior because he had eaten President Yoweri Museveni’s money and in turn he refused to support him.
I was helping him return home. He was lost. I beat up Junior because I was correcting him.You know Tamale Mirundi is a night dancer from Burundi and now President Yoweri Museveni paid school fees for his son throughout school and after enjoying his money he supported Bobi Wine. I’m warning others that I will beat you all if you eat Museveni’s money and then turn your back on him,†Kisakyamukama warned.
The NRM diehard also revealed that he is now tracing for the controversial political analyst so that he can also teach him a lesson for always abusing top government officials.
†After beating him, he is now back to NRM. Mirundi is a beggar, he cannot look for me, I instead looked for him and he ran away. I’m Kisakyamukama who beat up his son, I don’t belong to the army or police, if Mirundi wants me, he should come, I will deal with him. He also enjoyed Museveni’s money but he is always busy abusing government officials. Mirundi family should apologize to Museveni if not they will die miserably,â€he added.
†I work as Museveni’s assistant dealing with stupid people.â€
Following the attack on his son, Mirundi, the former Senior Presidential Press Secretary pleaded to Ugandans especially People Power/ National Unity Platform supporters to help him hunt for Kisakyamukama.
While on STV ‘Embuga’ show Mirundi knelt before viewers and asked Bobi Wine and group to help him track down and deal with the man who almost killed his son.
“I’m kneeling before you, I thank People Power supporters and my brother Bobi Wine who are hunting for the man called Yiga. This man comes from Gomba, this man abused the King of Buganda, he is a goon. One of his military soldiers is the one who beat up my son to the extent of breaking his jaw,†Mirundi said.
“My son will not be able to speak for the next six months. Please help, as I also use my intelligence machines to track down that man. Please look for that man, most of the time he is in lodges. Whoever beat my son , must suffer. Please help me, I’m an old man of 60 years, I have never knelt to ask for anything but this time round I have done so. Please look for that man who beat up my son and deal with him.â€
]]>Grief as Lucy Nakyobe’s husband Prof Mbonye passes onhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210725/117946/grief-as-lucy-nakyobes-husband-prof-mbonye-passes-on.html Sun, 25 Jul 2021 06:11:18 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117946The former Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health Prof. Anthony Kabanza Mbonye is dead.Prof Mbonye has been husband to former State House Comptroller and in-coming head of Public Service, Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye.
The sad news was announced by the Senior Presidential Press Secretary Linda Nabusayi on Sunday.
“The SH Comptroller Ms. Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye with deep sorrow announces the death of her dear husband Prof. Anthony Kabanza Mbonye this morning. He was Prof. at the School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, MUK & UCU and former Director General Health Services #RIPMbonye,â€Nabusayi tweeted.
Prof Mbonye died from Kampala Hospital after losing battle to cancer.
Prof. Mbonye, who joined thd public service in 1986 left the Ministry of Health as Director General of Health Services, in 2018, after he opted for early retirement following serious disagreements among the top technocrats.
Born in Rwenkobwa, Ibanda District, Western Uganda, and a graduate of Makerere University, The University of Copenhagen and The University of Liverpool, UK, Prof. Mbonye has authored numerous books in his medical career.
]]>FARUK KIRUNDA: UPDF Is Capable Of Doing More And More, With Army In Charge, Northern Bypass Wouldn’t Have Taken 25 Yearshttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210725/117944/faruk-kirunda-updf-is-capable-of-doing-more-and-more-with-army-in-charge-northern-bypass-wouldnt-have-taken-25-years.html Sun, 25 Jul 2021 05:50:31 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117944In a July 1 (2021) letter, President Yoweri Museveni directed that all new government school and hospital projects should be handled by the UPDF Engineering Brigade starting in the current (2021/ 2022) financial year.The President reasoned that the move would help avoid the delays that have hampered government projects by (civilian) contractors.
He attributed the mess to “lengthy procurement processes and in other cases, corruption perpetrated by some unscrupulous government workersâ€.
Museveni was certain that the delays in implementing government construction projects could be prevented by utilising the army construction brigade to undertake these works.
As soon as the president’s directive became public, a furious debate ensued with sections of the elite, media, civil society, political class and public lambasting the president’s proposal. Some of those opposing the ideas have vested interest and are powered by conflict of interest. They are responsible for corrupt tendencies and bureaucracy that are letting down government on service delivery. Others are the usual cynics who oppose anything that the president says while others are simply oblivious of the army’s role while others are just envious.
They failed to take into consideration the justification which the President accompanied the directive with including that UPDF’s Engineering Brigade has built capacity to handle several projects ranging from simple, high level, and then to advanced construction projects. Wherever the army has worked, he added, a lot of money has been saved. He noted that the practice of using private contractors is a great wastage of government resources, a practice he usually describes as “parasitismâ€.
There is no question about the fact that a lot of money is wasted on hiring private contractors who then go on to connive with civil servants to rip off government while at the same time delivering late works, which may turn out to be shoddy. The UPDF, on the other hand, with its military culture, usually delivers quality work in good time and at a “tax payer friendly†cost.
It’s on record that some private contractors spend up to 60% of the total contract price in bribing officials in procurement in order to win jobs. By the time they embark on the work, the money is depleted. The only option left is to acquire poor quality materials and less skilled workmanship, resulting in poor quality work.
In the past, the UPDF has constructed several facilities in the country including the Namugongo martyrs shrine, Mbuya military referral hospital, Kololo independence grounds and housing units in various army barracks throughout the country. It also constructed UPDF Mubende hospital that provides artificial limbs to soldiers who lose limbs during war as well as the new Shs7.9 billion state of the art facilities at the National Institute of Leadership (NALI) at Kyankwanzi.
The army has also recently finished work on the SFC headquarters. It also helped revamp the old railway line in preparation for works on the modern Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).The same UPDF Engineering Brigade was
involved in the clearing of the floating island that threatened to swamp Nalubaale dam at Jinja last year.
As we talk, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the commercial arm of the UPDF, to undertake road construction and maintenance projects on various sites and stretches of road all over the country. UPDF has overtime built professional capacity to perform other tasks beyond its core security function and are capable of excelling in almost any field where their expertise is required.
The army’s involvement in works is part of the plan for increasing local content in the country’s works and infrastructure sector. UPDF is not a foreign army, but an indigenous and professional force is ready to serve Ugandans at all times, and I thank the officers and men of the forces for making Uganda proud!
Infrastructure and matters of development are more less a security matter that needs to be attended to without further delay.
Ugandans should, therefore, not be worried by the President’s directive because it is at the heart of their interests. Only enemies of Uganda’s progress should be displeased. Moreover, not all projects will be taken
over, since the government’s broad plan is to create employment opportunities for all Ugandans. Only those of strategic interest will be prioritised for takeover. Uganda is being held back from attaining middle income status by avoidable bottlenecks that should be cleared as assurance for the next phase of transformation where time and resources must be optimised.
The army can be trusted not to disappoint since Museveni will be fully in charge and the army operates a strict legal framework where acts of corruption and negligence are not treated lightly unlike in civilian courts where the corrupt bribe their way out and even return to their posts to do more havoc. In the army, it is “hakuna mchezo†full time!
For that matter, the President has a firm basis for his decision which he reached after consulting widely. Ugandans should embrace it with both arms for efficient, reliable and timely service delivery. We should stop
making mistakes that hold us back from reaching the take off stage. Looking at the Northern Bypass, there is no doubt that if it had been contracted by the army it wouldn’t have taken 25 years under construction, and yet still remains incomplete!
The author is a Private Secretary to H.E the President in Charge of Media Management
Contact: kirundaf2@gmail.com
]]>ORTEGA IAN: It’s almost impossible to transform Uganda, not even in the next 50 yearshttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210725/117784/ortega-ian-its-almost-impossible-to-transform-uganda-not-even-in-the-next-50-years.html Sun, 25 Jul 2021 05:37:27 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117784It is almost impossible to transform Uganda, not even in the next 50 years. The next President of Uganda will find him/herself in the same dilemma. There is this trap that Uganda and probably many other African countries will never escape.They may grow here and there but they won’t transform. And one of the reasons why transformation won’t happen is an element of “Capital.â€
Capital is essentially that which organizes other factors of production. Capital is the machinery, the money, the financial instruments, the debt etc.
In order to transform Uganda, one would have to understand the structure of capital in Uganda. Who owns the capital? Who creates the capital? Who distributes the capital?
When you study the structure of capital in Uganda, upto 90% of this is owned, created and distributed by foreigners. You have majority foreign capital.
You see this with the banks, you see it with the companies that dominate this economy, you see it with the people that fund major projects in this country, it is all majority foreign capital.
I have often used the example of the Chinese Government giving Uganda a loan through a Chinese Bank, to construct a road. The road is constructed by a Chinese Company using Chinese Equipment. The same road will transport Chinese Goods. The Consultant, and Contractor are both Chinese. The only thing Ugandan is the fact that the road has been constructed in this geographical location called Uganda. In this case, who is fooling who?
If we go to banks. Most Ugandan companies will never have the collateral to get a loan from the top banks (again all majorly foreign banks). These banks literally create money out of thin air. If a bank lends you 100 million, it is only required to have about 20m or less in reserves. So who gets to access these loans? Well it is foreign owned companies. Because they have the required security. But let’s also assume a Ugandan company or business man gets access to these loans. Often times, the interests rates are high. There is a likelihood this business person will fail to pay. What happens? The banks (foreign-owned) will take hold of the security.
If you look at the tender requirements for most Government Tenders, they literally just disqualify a Ugandan company. So by and large, Ugandans are locked out of this capital value chain.
You cannot mention a single Ugandan firm that’s registering a high turnover and is entirely owned and controlled by a Ugandan.
Have you ever asked yourself why despite complaints of corruption, the western governments will never stop giving us loans? Or Aid? Because all these loans and grants are structured in such a way that they benefit the giver more than the receiver! There is more money that leaves Uganda than what comes into Uganda.
I suspect most Presidents realize that they can’t escape this trap once they get into power. It is almost impossible to solve this puzzle of capital. How do you get capital into the hands of the nationals?
In the past, I have spoken of Land and Tax Reforms, today, I add Capital Reform. Without Capital Reforms, you can never transform a country!
]]>ANDREW MWENDA: Uganda’s untold achievementshttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210724/117939/andrew-mwenda-ugandas-untold-achievements-2.html Sat, 24 Jul 2021 16:20:21 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117939Last night while walking through the streets of Soroti City, I met Mr Joseph Epodoi. He is the surgeon who, last year, led a medical team that separated conjoined twins at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital. Please note: a surgeon with a masters is referred to as Mr, not Dr.The siamese twins were born on March 21, 2000 in Amuria Health Center Four by caesarean. Did you know a Health Center Four in Amuria, a remote district bordering Karamoja can handle caesarean cases? Well it did.
One twin was born dead. The case was transferred to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital where Epodoi was worked for the last 20 years. He assessed the case and because they had never done such surgery before, he referred it to Mulago, which is the national referral hospital.
Mulago Hospital judged the case medically impossible and discharged the twins for palliative care â€" meaning they go home and wait for the death of the second twin as well. So the parents came back to Soroti Hospital.
However Epodoi felt he could take the risk and try to separate them, since the option left was to just let the second kid die. So on arrival (and this was four days since the birth and one kid was decomposing while the other licking its leaps and opening its eyes).
Epodoi concluded from this that at least the conjoined twins were not sharing the heart, otherwise even the second one would have died. So he mobilized our team of 15 people including anesthesiologist, pediatricians, general surgeons and intensive care nurses. On the 5th day since the twins were born, they did a successful separation.
They even reduced the operation time from 15 hours to four hours. They got tissue from the dead kid to patch up the cut place of the living one. These live parts on the dead kid were close to the living one and that is why they had not died yet.
Now the child is in the village and fine. The mother was in S2 graduate (23 years old) and was now doing a tailoring course. The father is driver and cannot be traced. So it is the maternal grand father who was coordinating the kid’s medical emergency.
The doctors then opened an account in equity bank for charitable people to help donate money to the poor mother to assist the child. There has been little contributions to the account.
The lesson from this story is simple but powerful. That is spite of all the problems our medical services face, our country has made incredible progress in improving medical care for our citizens â€" even the poorest among us. That is how a Health Center Four in Amuria is able to handle Caesarian cases, and Soroti Hospital able to handle this case.
]]>High court orders Police boss to pay Shs10m for torturing fellow officerhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210724/117932/high-court-orders-police-boss-to-pay-shs10m-for-torturing-fellow-officer.html Sat, 24 Jul 2021 13:21:21 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=117932High Court has ordered Commissioner of Police Herman Owomugisha to pay Assistant Superintendent of Police, Steven Mugarura Shs10m for torturing and detaining him unlawfully.Justice Musa Ssekaana ruled that CP Owomugisha must also pay for the violation of ASP Mugarura’s personal liberty with an interest of 15 percent from 23rd July the date of the ruling.
According to the application by Mugarura (Applicant), CP Owomugisha (Respondent) breached his constitutional duty to protect the applicant, a public officer while he was discharging his lawful public duty of investing criminal matters, as OC/CID Kabarole Police Station, and instead obstructed his duties, contrary to article 173 of the Constitution.
The court states that the applicant’s freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment was violated by officers of the Uganda Police who wantonly beat up him while at Central Police Station Kampala contrary to Articles 24 and 44 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
According to the affidavit of the applicant dated 29th November 2017, in 2012, as he was serving as the OC CID of Kabarole Police Station, he encountered a notorious criminal gang that was robbing people’s properties across Uganda upon which he started off an operation to have it investigated and brought before the law.
In the execution of his duties, Mugarura faced direct obstruction and confrontation from senior police officers who connived with the said criminals in further obstruction of his duties. High-ranking officers from the Uganda Police framed several charges against the Applicant and carried out unlawful arrests and detentions, maliciously prosecuted him.
The applicant was also physically and mentally tortured and deliberately denied work and refused to re-deploy him despite being cleared by the authorities, all contrary to Articles 20, 23, 24, 44 and 173 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
In August 2014, Mugarura received a phone call requiring him to report at the flying squad Headquarters and record a statement regarding a criminal gang and on reaching there, he was immediately handcuffed and wantonly beaten by the commandant of the flying squad then, one CP Herman Owomugisha, his head was banged on chairs and wall causing him to sustain grave injuries. He was detained at Jinja Road Police Station for three days and was released on Police bond.
Again while on his way to attend the burial of the late AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesa in Lwengo District, he was brutally arrested by men dressed in ordinary clothes and whisked off in a private car, escorted by a police car, detained at Kira Road Police Station in a small, dark, smelly room where he spent 3 days without food or water and his relatives were denied access to him. He was then transferred to another detention at Railway Police Station for 3 more days without any formal accusation.
According to medical reports, Mugarura while held in incommunicado, sustained grievous harm, blunt chest trauma and a fractured tooth and suffered from scalp, neck and chest pain.
He was later released and transferred from the criminal investigation department to the Field Force Unit of which he refused to report. He was then arrested for misconduct and for the fact that he was wanted by the Police Standard Unit. He was tried and found guilty by the lower disciplinary court of Police and the Appellate Court was then discharged from the Uganda Police Forces.
A matter that forced him to file a case against the respondent and the Attorney General seeking the court to direct the Director Human Resource and Administration of Uganda Police to immediately to re-deploy him. An order for general damages/ compensation against the defendant for the aforesaid violation of fundamental rights of the applicant, also an order directing the defendant to pay the applicant punitive damages for the high-handed actions of police officers.
Ruling
In his ruling which he delivered on 23th this month, Justice Ssekaana said “Freedom from torture is one of the most universally recognized human rights. Torture is considered so barbaric and incompatible with a civilized society that it cannot be tolerated. Torturers are seen as the ‘enemy of mankind.â€
He later ruled that since the respondents did not challenge any of the arrests stated by the applicant in the various police stations for the stated days in each cell. “I would award the applicant 10,000,000/= as damages for the violation of his personal liberty with an interest of 15 percent from the date of this ruling. The applicant is awarded the costs of the case. I so order.â€
]]>
0 Response to "Watchdog Uganda"
Post a Comment