He buttressed his point by citing Articles 24 and 44 (a) of the Constitution, which prohibit torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. He also added that Uganda has strong laws against torture, such as the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, which makes torture a crime, and the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act, which provides for individual liability for officials who engage in the violation of human rights.
He mentioned generally that some people who had tortured suspects had been punished! But the Attorney General failed to remember that none of the major culprits have been brought to book. One of the persons highlighted in the Human Rights Watch report is the former Director General of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Col Kaka Bagyenda.
He is accused of creating various “safe houses” in which political opponents (real and imagined) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) were kept and tortured. Some of the people under his command were involved in extortion against the suspects.
Unknown but armed individuals have been attacking police and military facilities in the country. In some cases, police officers have been killed and guns taken. This happened in Mubende, Kapeeka, Busiika, Kensington (Kyanja), Nakulubye, and more recently at Gaddafi baracks in Jinja.
In the aftermath of these attacks, some young people have been kidnapped at awkward hours by men who never identify themselves. Security organizations have ignored the formal and lawful procedures of arrest. Under some of the lawful procedures, the arresting officer is supposed to identify himself or herself and state the offense for which one is being arrested.
The suspect is supposed to be told where he or she is being taken. If security forces are pretty sure of their investigations, why do they prefer to arrest people under the cover of darkness? In some bizarre situations, suspects have been fetched from their homes at ungodly hours and, without any justification, they have been summarily killed in front of their families.
This was the case with Sheikh Abbasi Kirevu, the former imam of Ggangu. Former boxer, Zebra Ssenyange, aka Mando, was also killed by security forces in a similar manner. None of the culprits were brought to book, much as President Museveni admitted that security forces were involved in the death of Mando.
On November 26, Pte. Rogers Alibuuza was killed by UPDF soldiers.
“Today, November 26, one of the assailants who carried out the attack on the sentry along Ambercourt Road in Gaddafi Barracks where one soldier was killed and two SMG rifles stolen has been put out of action and two stolen guns recovered,” Army Spokesman Brig Felix Kulayigye tweeted.
Put out of action is a euphemism for “arbitrary killings.” The usual justification is that a lethal weapon was used because the suspect was also armed! The right to life must be taken seriously. The practice of security forces killing suspected security culprits at random must end. This practice may lead to other unintended consequences. The decision to kill is irreversible. Life is too precious to be used as a bait for political scores.
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