Arrest soldiers in torture of MPs, Kadaga tells Museveni

KAMPALA. Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has written to President Museveni demanding urgent action on th arrest and prosecution of security officers who tortured MPs and journalists during the violent Arua Municipality by-election that left one person dead and dozens injured.

In her letter dated August 27, Ms Kadaga told Mr Museveni that security personnel from Special Forces Command (the presidential guard), police and Military Police, who beat up MPs and other unarmed civilians, should be arrested and charged in court immediately.
“Unless this is done, it will be very difficult to conduct Government Business in Parliament. The Uganda Parliament will not condone or acquiesce in acts of torture,” Ms Kadaga stated in the letter.

During the closing day of the Arua Municipality by-election campaigns, Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, and other Opposition MPs who included the eventual winner Kassiano Wadri, Francis Zaake (Mityana Municipality), Paul Mwiri (Jinja East), Gerald Karuhanga (Ntungamo Municipality) and Mike Mabikke (former Makindye East) were violently arrested by police and army officers on accusations that they stoned the President’s car and damaged its rear windscreen.
Mr Zaake was later dumped by soldiers in a military vehicle at Rubaga Hospital, Kampala, where he is still admitted with severe injuries. He was in a coma for several days. The MPs were beaten and later produced in court on treason charges.
The High Court in Gulu District yesterday released the MPs and their co-accused on bail.

Ms Kadaga noted that MP Zaake remains gravely ill while Bobi Wine has visible signs of torture and beatings yet no action has been taken against the offenders.
“Your Excellency, I am concerned that no effort has been made to arrest the security officers from the SFC (Special Forces command), Military Police and Uganda Police Force who were involved in the violent actions against unarmed civilians,” Ms Kadaga noted.
She said the security personnel’s conduct is in breach of the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act 2012 specifically section 2 (1) (a) and (b).

“This is, therefore, to demand that the officers concerned be apprehended at the earliest opportunity and presented in court,” Ms Kadaga asked the president.
However, she added that Parliament does not condone acts of lawlessness by any leader or member of the public.
This is a second time Speaker Kadaga is writing to President Museveni to take action against security personnel over acts of brutality. Last year, she wrote to the President asking him to take action against security personnel who raided Parliament and beat up MPs during the debate on the Constitution amendment to lift presidential age limit.

President Museveni did not respond to Ms Kadaga’s letter and no action has been taken on the culpable security officers since.
When contacted for a comment yesterday, the presidential press secretary, Mr Don Wanyama, said he had not seen Ms Kadaga’s communication. But when he was told the contents of the letter, he said President Museveni has “severally condemned torture.”
“If you recall, it is President Museveni who ordered for the arrest of a police officer in the Mityana shooting. He wrote letters recently condemning torture. I do not see any contradiction. If the letter is sent to President Museveni, he will respond,” Mr Wanyana said.

Protests
The beating up of MPs led to protests in different parts of the country in which five people have been shot dead by security officers.
In Kampala City, police officers and soldiers were seen firing live bullets at crowds. Soldiers would beat those they arrested and often times used pliers to tear flesh from the suspects.
Last week, Uganda Human Rights Commission chairman, Mr Med Kaggwa, said they were investigating the conduct of security personnel during the protests.

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