Torture: Police block mayor’s relatives from accessing him

Kamwenge Town Council mayor Geoffrey Byamukama while still admitted at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala last week. COURTESY PHOTO

KAMPALA- Relatives of Kamwenge mayor Geoffrey Byamukama, who was allegedly tortured by the police, have been blocked from accessing him at Nalufenya Special Investigations Centre in Jinja District.
Last Friday, Mr Byamukama is said to have been picked by police officers from Nakasero Hospital and driven back to Nalufenya Special Investigation Centre, a place from where he claimed to have been tortured as police officers attempted to extract a confession from him that he had a hand in the killing of police spokesman, Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
Ms Viola Komugisha, the wife of Mr Byamukama, said yesterday that some family members were blocked at the entrance of Nalufenya and were told to seek permission to see him from the police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala City.
“We sent some people to visit him at Nalufenya last Friday, but their car was blocked at the gate and told to turn back.

Since last Friday, none of our people has been able to talk to him. We don’t know his health right now,” Ms Komugisha said.
Since Mr Byamukama was tortured, he has been undergoing treatment at Nakasero Hospital for more than one month.

Police spokesman Asan Kasingye said he wasn’t aware that Mr Byamukama’s relatives were blocked from visiting him.
“Let them contact the management of Nalufenya. They have a right to visit their relative, who is in police custody,” Mr Kasingye said.
Mr Cuthbert Mirembe Abigaba, Kibale Member of Parliament, said he was able to access Mr Byamukama when he was still admitted at Nakasero Hospital.
“Our worry is his health condition.

When he was being treated at Nakasero Hospital, there were prescriptions that the doctors recommended us to buy from outside pharmacies because they didn’t have them. We were buying them using our finances. I don’t know whether he will be able to get them while in police custody,” Mr Abigaba said.
Mr Abigaba, however, said the manner in which Mr Byamukama was tortured has caused outrage in his constituency and constituents are wondering how such incidents can happen in the National Resistance Movement government.
Kamwenge Town Council speaker, Mr Eric Rugyenye, who is also a relative of Mr Byamukama, said they have decided to petition the minister of Security, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde and the Minister of ICT, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, to help him get justice.