By Robert Segawa
20 homeless youths have dragged the LC3 chairman of Kyengera town council Hajji Abdul Kiyimba to the high court civil division over torture allegations while in detention at Kitalya government Prison.
These have filed the said suit through Susan Baluka a legal officer Human rights awareness and promotion forum.
The group is jointly suing Kiyimba together with principal officer Philimon Waniola the deputy officer in charge of Kitalya min-max prison and attorney general.
In their application, the group contends that on the 29th of March 2020 they were part of the 23 youths who were arrested from a residence in Nkokonjeru they shared for violating the Presidential COVID-19 directives including public gatherings because they were many and believed to be homosexuals.
These claim that Hajji Kiyimba spear headed the said operation and that during the said arrest, they were Publicly beaten by Hajji Kiyimba as he dragged them to Nkokonjeru police post and after being charged in Mpigi magistrate court with doing a neglect act likely to spread a dangerous disease COVID-19, they were remanded at Kitalya government Prison.
These further claim that while at Kitalya for the next 42 days the torture continued with more beating,being denied food or sanitary facilities and that Waniola asked one of them to strip naked and burnt him with a burning wood between his thighs,denied access to their lawyers before the DPP withdrew the said charges against them.
These now want court to compel government to compensate them for the alleged torture, inhumane and degrading treatment and violation to privacy among other human rights violations.