Kamwenge Mayor torture case opened at UHRC

Kamwenge Town Council mayor Geoffrey Byamukama at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala. COURTESY PHOTO 

What you need to know:

  • File: Torture 08
  • Dr Amooti said their investigations have revealed that Mr Byamukama wasn’t tortured at Nalufenya Special Investigation Centre, but in a vehicle he was bundled in after his arrest.

KAMPALA. Kamwenge Town Council Mayor, Mr Geoffrey Byamukama, has opened a complaint at the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) against police officers who allegedly tortured him.
At least four police officers including two senior officers, Mr Patrick Munanura and Mr Fred Tumuhirwe and two junior officers, Constable Ronnie Byenkya and a sergeant only identified as Tumukunde are targeted by the investigations.
Mr Byamukama is said to have been tortured by police officers after he was arrested on allegations that he had links in the assassination of police spokesman, Andrew Felix Kaweesi in March this year.
The acting UHRC chairman, Dr Katebalirwe Amooti, said their team has already recorded statements from Mr Byamukama and police officers.
“We have opened a file of his complaint and recorded more statements from the police officers…. This case is going to the tribunal,” Dr Amooti said.
Since leaked of images of septic wounds of Mr Byamukama appeared in the media, several human rights activists have condemned the acts of torture against suspects arrested on allegations of participating in Kaweesi’s death.
The UHRC tribunals have the powers of the court. They can grant compensation to the tortured victims or order another government agency to discipline the offender.
However, tortured victims’ trust in the UHRC is waning since most of their decisions aren’t implemented especially by government. Several people tortured in government facilities have been awarded compensation by UHRC tribunals, but government hasn’t paid them.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is also carry out its own investigations against the same police officers.
Dr Amooti said their investigations have revealed that Mr Byamukama wasn’t tortured at Nalufenya Special Investigation Centre, but in a vehicle he was bundled in after his arrest.
He said the officers are using torture tools like batons, cable wires and gun butts to subdue their victims.
The UHRC has dedicated an entire chapter in the human rights report that covers incidents of 2016 to open a lid on torture in the security agencies facilities. The report is to be released today (Thursday).