Uganda to mark International Human Rights Day in Wakiso on Saturday

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) today launched a series of week-long activities, that will include an outreach in Wakiso district, as the country joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Human Rights Day due on Saturday.

Starting today, there will be a pre-event community outreach mainly spearheaded by the Wakiso District Human Rights Committee. It will involve mobile human rights clinics in different wards that make up Kajansi Town Council before the  main celebration Saturday at Nakawuka Playground, Kajansi Town Council in Wakiso district.

“I call upon whoever has a legal issue or any other human right related issue to join us at Nakawuka on Saturday December 10, 2022 as we commemorate this day,” said Mariam Wangadya, chairperson of the UHRC in a statement.

The plans were revealed at a joint pess conference by the Uganda Human Rights Commission and partner institutions to kick start the International Human Rights Day 2022 commemoration activities.

UHRC and its partners have lined up a series of commemoration activities intended to mobilise, galvanize support and provide further information about observance and protection of human rights. These include the joint press conference held today; a High-Level SGBV Symposium to be held at Sheraton Hotel on December 9, 2022 and is also part of the culmination of the 16 days of activism; the community outreach and regional activities at the regional level, especially in the districts of Gulu in Northern Uganda and Moroto in North-eastern Uganda.

The partners are Government of Uganda, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Uganda, the Embassy of France in Uganda, the Germany Agency for International Corporation (GIZ), the Uganda Law Society, ACTV, Wakiso District Human Rights Committee and the Uganda Law Society.

At the international level, this year’s commemoration will flag off a year’s long series of activities which will climax with the commemoration of the UDHR at 75 in December 2023. At the National level, the focus is on Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) and Access to Justice with an objective spotlighting what the declaration means for people in their everyday lives.

Kaheru speaks out on torture

At today’s joint press conference, UHRC Commissioner Crispin Kaheru outlined several achivements registered this year, and made clear the commissions stand on reports of abductions by security officers.

Kaheru said the commission takes the allegations very seriously and has continued to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to inquire into the incidents as well as condemn arrests and detentions that are not conducted in line with the law. However, he urged Ugandans to take note that  “not every arrest is an abduction or kidnap as has been widely framed by some sections”.

“The public and media should allow the UHRC time, trust and  confidence to be able to do its work in fulfilment of its mandate as a National Human Rights Institution. We are in the era of social media and fake news as well. There is need to verify every allegation for accuracy and reliability,” Kaheru said.

Kaheru promised that, “Holding people incommunicado, torture and ill treatment should come to an end. We will invoke Article 44 of the 1995 Constituon and the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act 2012”.

"We are in the era of social media & fake news as well. There is need to verify every allegation for accuracy & reliability. This is key for the media & reporting." Commissioner Crispin Kaheru @ckaheru of the @UHRC_UGANDA . @ADCinUganda@DignityDK @KremserRoswitha pic.twitter.com/gEdiSMYixB

— ACTV – Against Torture (@actvuganda) December 5, 2022

He also revealed that in furtherance of its mandate to protect and promote human rights, the Commission has launched the first ever online application to enable people use their mobile phones to access our Services – the UHRC App.

UHRC and partners outlines achivements

UHRC and its partners in a joint report released today showed that the Human Rights Committee of Parliament sat and reviewed a number of UHRC reports for the years; 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and has already come up with its report to be tabled on the floor of Parliament.

The Commission also successfully issued its 24th Annual Report on the State of Human Rights in the Country.

The partners said several developments this year signify increased awarness of the need to improve the human rights situation in the country. This includes the fact that the Government of Uganda fulfilled its international Treaty Reporting obligations in respect to the International Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

They also noted that  that unlike the first lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 when the Commission received several complaints of harassment and degrading treatment by security agencies enforcing the lockdown, the complaints during the ebola lockdown have been minimal.

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