17-year-old boy dies in prison

What you need to know:

  • Section 167 of the Penal Code Act criminalises wandering persons, those gambling for cash or prostituting as being idle and disorderly and if convicted in court, they, if prostitutes or involved in soliciting for immoral purpose, face a maximum seven years imprisonment.
  • President Yoweri Museveni in February this year ordered police and other authorities to stop arresting people for being ‘idle and disorderly”.

A 17-year-old boy has been found dead in Soroti government prison where he was reportedly remanded on November 30, 2016 on allegations of being idle and disorderly.
Mr Justin Etengu Akamu, the uncle to the deceased Tom Obila said he was arrested on November 28 on allegations of being idle and disorderly.

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Mr Akamu said Obila had been sent to buy posho and beans in Moru-apesur ward when police arrested him.
"Since then, attempts to secure his freedom were futile until he died today (December 21), "Mr Akamu explained.
Mr Micheal Odongo, Police spokesperson for mid-east Kyoga on Wednesday said they registered statements from prison officials about the boy’s death.

Mr Odongo declined to divulge more details about the incident, saying: "As police, all we are interested in the postmortem of the body currently in Soroti hospital mortuary, "he said.
Mr Frank Baine, public Relations Officer Uganda Prisons when contacted said that the deceased Obila died of natural causes ruling out any possible torture.
He said Obila contracted malaria two days before his death and that he had been attended to by the medical workers.
“It is unfortunate he’s dead,” said Mr Baine.
During the election campaigns, president Yoweri Museveni in February this year

Museveni vows to scrap idle and disorderly law

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday ordered police and other authorities to stop arresting people for being ‘idle and disorderly”

for being ‘idle and disorderly”.

Mr Museveni who was addressing his supporters at Kazo grounds in the new Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, then tasked his aides at State House to remind him to engineer the repeal of the law criminalising ‘idle and disorderly’ persons.
Individuals at the rally cheered wildly, telling them that police and Kampala Capital City Authority enforcement officers had been using the legal provision to harass them “endlessly”.
“I hear they arrest my people in Kampala on ‘idle and disorderly charges’. I don’t want to hear it anymore. Stop arresting my people,” Mr Museveni said, adding: “My people write it down and remind me, I am going to cancel that instrument,” Mr Museveni said then.

The law
Section 167 of the Penal Code Act criminalises wandering persons, those gambling for cash or prostituting as being idle and disorderly and if convicted in court, they, if prostitutes or involved in soliciting for immoral purpose, face a maximum seven years imprisonment. Other aspects of the offence attract three months in jail or Shs3,000 fine or both.

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