Legislators want Nalufenya police officers charged

KAMPALA. MPs were on Friday shocked by the condition in which they found inmates in detention at the infamous Nalufenya facility.
The Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights visited the high security detention facility on the banks of River Nile in Jinja on Friday after Speaker Rebecca Kadaga asked the committee to inquire into the state of the facility, its legal status and accusations of torture of the detainees.
Journalists were barred from entering the facility and the MPs didn’t find it any easier accessing the facility as police officers there searched them thoroughly and withheld their electronic gadgets before allowing them in.
One of the MPs told this newspaper that “we were not very well accepted initially but we later raised the issue at a meeting with Asan Kasingye (police spokesperson) who apologised to the committee for the mistreatment.”

Speaking to Sunday Monitor in confidence, an MP described the condition as “disturbing,” suggesting that the officers running the facility should be indicted.
“Of course, it is a disturbing condition, we discussed with some of the inmates and their condition is deplorable,” the source said.
The MP hinted at possible sanctioning of charges against the officers running the facility, but said the committee members are divided over the issue and suggested possible authoring of a minority report.
Another MP said two inmates interacted with the committee and gave horrifying accounts of what happens to them at the facility.
“We met two inmates who gave us their account of what they are going through, but all the details we shall include in our report,” the MP said.

More facilities
A committee member said they cannot conclude their report on Tuesday as directed by the Speaker because there are other facilities that they need to visit as well.
“There are other places we need to visit before compiling our report, it was brought to our notice that there are some other facilities that we must visit if we are to have a comprehensive report as required by Parliament,” the MP said. The MPs also interacted with the Kamwenge Town Council chairman, Mr Geoffrey Byamukama, who in a teary conversation narrated how he ended up at the facility.

According to the Parliament website, Mr Byamukama told the MPs that he was tortured before being delivered to Nalufenya. But the two officers who have since been arrested and detained at Nalufenya over claims of torturing Mr Byamukama have dismissed his narrative of having been tortured before being delivered to the facility.
According to the website, Mr Byamukama told the MPs that the doctors said it would take him between six months and a year before he will be able to walk again.
[email protected]