Protect us from rights abuses, police tell UHRC

Lwengo District Police Commander Ronald Muhwezi speaks during the human rights consultative meeting in Masaka Town on Monday. PHOTO BY ISSA ALIGA 

In Summary

Victims. Officers say when they are attacked, the rights body should consider them as victims.

Masaka. Police officers in Masaka sub-region have asked the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to consider them as vulnerable people whose human rights have been consistently violated in their line of duty.
During a consultative meeting in Masaka Town on Monday, the Southern regional police spokesman, Mr Noah Sserunjogi, said there are many policemen whose rights have been abused but UHRC doesn’t consider them as victims.
He cited the 2010 incident in Lwemiyaga County in Sembabule District where the area MP, Mr Theodore Ssekikubo, reportedly assaulted the then district police commander during the NRM party primaries.

He also cited an incident in 2011 where 10 policemen were stoned by civilians in Nyendo Town in Masaka District during a Walk to Work demonstration, organised by Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga.
“…We are also vulnerable persons whose human rights are abused by civilians,’’ Mr Sserunjogi said. Mr Sserunjogi said police officers need their cases to be fairly handled by the commission and they shouldn’t be discriminated on account of being security agents.

Masaka Resident District Commissioner Kigozi Kaweesa, who also chairs the district security committee, warned civilians against provoking the men in uniform.
Ms Priscilla Nyarugoye, a senior human rights officer in charge of the Vulnerable Persons Unit, said: “We do not discriminate police officers or any other victims whose rights have been abused. We handle all cases fairly regardless of who brings them.”

Report findings
According to the 2014 UHRC Annual Report, complaints on the violation of the right of freedom from torture and ill-treatment increased by 30.76 per cent despite the Anti-Torture Law being in place. Most of the reports were against state agents such as police (202), Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (74) and Uganda Prisons Service (26), private individuals (28), local government (seven) educational institutions (five), private security companies (4), Uganda Wildlife Authority (eight) and clan leaders (two). Kampala Capital City Authority and Gulu Remand Home registered one complaint each.

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