Human Rights Commission Tasks NUP
The Uganda Human Rights Commission has released an investigative report on the claims made by the opposition National Unity Platform on the arrest and detention of their members.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Mariam Wangadya, told journalists that they had established the whereabouts of some NUP members who had been either released or were still in detention.
However, Wangadya added that NUP had failed to provide concrete information on the many party members they claim have been abducted and/or arrested by security agencies.
During their first press conference of 2023 held on 16th January, senior leaders of the National Unity Platform party vowed to continue demanding for their members who they claim were arrested by security agencies and their relatives don’t know their whereabouts.
The NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya claimed that they went to different authorities, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission to seek help but in vain.
Now, the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Mariam Wangadya has issued a report on the matter, saying that NUP provided the commission with the particulars of only 25 people but not the hundreds they claim have been arrested.
The commission found that among the 25 people, 7 were released in December 2022; three were charged with murder and released on bail, while 4 were charged with malicious damage to property. The commission is still investigating the fate of 17 others to establish their whereabouts and asked NUP to cooperate in the process by giving reliable information.
The seven NUP members that Wangadya says were released are: Kavuma Jamushid, Ssonko Haruna Badru, Ntale Charles, Abdu Bayani Babu, Godfrey Kirumira Marvin, Ahumuza Patrick, Muleme Steven.
NUP and other opposition members claim that the abductions have continued. Wangadya has asked security agencies to follow due process in arresting people rather than abducting them.
Wangadya dismissed claims by NUP that the Commission has done little or nothing in protecting human rights as per its mandate.
