The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament sitting on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee have criticised the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) for not taking action against security operatives who defy Court to re-arrest suspects released on bail.
Officials from UHRC were today appearing before the committee chaired by West Budama South MP Jacob Oboth-Oboth to present their policy statement for the coming financial year 2018/2019.
Led by the Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Sseggona and Ndorwa East MP Wilfred Niwagaba, legislators tasked the officials to account for action taken against security operatives who defy Court to re-arrest suspects released on bail.
Sseggona pointed to a number of cases where suspects have over the years been arbitrarily and unlawfully rearrested by security agencies immediately after release from Court.
As a case in point, he referred to the incident last week where a suspect in the July 2010 Kampala bombing, Dr. Ismail Kalule, was rearrested following his release on bail. Security operatives from the Joint Anti -Terrorism Task-force (JAT) and counter terrorism police, both in uniform and plain clothes, forcefully grabbed him before bundling him into a nearby van and driving him away to an unknown location.
Sseggona accused the UHRC of silence while all these violations and abuse of human rights are being perpetrated. He stated that the Commission should exercise its mandate of summoning errant security agencies and offer remedies to the victims.
Commissioner Meddie Mulumba put up a defence pointing out a number of cases in which they have taken interest and initiated action against perpetrators of human rights abuses.
He implored the Members of Parliament to take keen interest in the annual reports by the commission and recommended actions against human rights offenders.
