While leading UPDF commanders before the committee, Jacob Oboth-Oboth, the Minister of State for Defence, said the army does not operate any safehouses and asked the Committee to help him identify them if there are people who are operating such.
The Human Rights Committee of parliament has resolved to use torture victims to locate safe houses in the country. The committee members resolved this on Tuesday when top commanders from the Uganda People’s Defence Force – UPDF and the Uganda Police Force – UPF appeared before them and denied the existence of such facilities.
Safe houses are places used to shelter persons seeking state protection for fear of persecution. Such a facility is also used to manage hard-core criminals who require a long time to reform, especially those who have rescinded to criminality after serving long prison sentences.
The facility is designed to provide space to coordinate concealed intelligence operations, as well as secure and protect witnesses in danger, especially criminals who have turned into witnesses. However, in Uganda, Safehouses have been used in the past to torture suspects to extract information.
The lawmakers argue that Government operatives use such facilities illegitimately to torture human rights and political activists who are critical of the ruling National Resistance Movement Government.
While leading UPDF commanders before the committee, Jacob Oboth-Oboth, the Minister of State for Defence, said the army does not operate any safehouses and asked the Committee to help him identify them if there are people who are operating such.
//Cue in: “I think I have…
Cue out:…would say it here.”//
Erasmus Twaruhukwa, the Director for Legal Services in Uganda Police Force-UPF told the Committee that they have investigated and failed to establish the existence of any safe houses in the country.
//Cue in: “Give the position…
Cue out:…of safe houses.”//
But Allan Mayanja, the Nakaseke Central MP expressed dissatisfaction with the response from the security commanders describing it as “dodgy” and “unsatisfactory”. He called for a thorough probe into the existence of safe houses, which have turned into torture chambers for suspects.
Nwoya East County MP, Geoffrey Charles Okello also observed that the two sister forces should jointly help Parliament to locate the safe houses because they pose a security threat to the citizenry.
//Cue in: “The issue of…
Cue out:…and even kill you.”//
UPDF Legislator Brig-Gen Charity Bainababo said for the Committee to make headway in establishing facts about the alleged safe houses, the MPs must rally relatives and friends who have ever been held there.
//Cue in: “If anyone…
Cue out:…bottom of it.”//
The Committee Chairperson, Fox Odoi Oywelowo and West Budama North MP noted that the Committee will rely on the torture victims to locate the safe houses so that appropriate measures are taken by Parliament to end human rights violations in the country.
The Committee is currently investigating allegations of human rights abuses by security agencies following a recent report from the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), a body that monitors and advances human rights in the country.
Several cases of human rights abuse were reported when Uganda imposed restrictions on freedoms of expression and assembly ahead of the February 2021 general elections following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The authorities broke up opposition rallies, arrested government critics and opposition members, and placed restrictions on the media. Security forces also used COVID-19 restrictions to beat, extort, and arbitrarily detain people.
The Human Rights and Peace Centre, School of Law Makerere University reported that since the start of the official presidential and parliamentary election campaigns in November 2020 at least 500 Ugandans were abducted, kidnapped, and held in custody without trial or in military facilities and ‘safe houses’.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and latr Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
