- some have been missing since 2020.
- The commission has warned security operatives over unlawful arrests and detention.
- Government has made strides towards realization of human rights.
The Uganda human rights commission has begun a national wide search for the missing persons after receiving a list 25 people from National unity platform (NUP).
Speaking to the media ahead of the international human rights day due on 10th of December, the director monitoring and inspection at the commission Ruth Ssekindi said that they will do an additional search for missing NUP supporters to see if they can find more.
She noted that previously they did a search and managed to find some but still others were not accounted for.`` We can’t do this alone that’s why we have reached out to different stakeholders prisons, police , CMI to see whether they can give an account of these people and then for us we shall check in different prisons , police and security facilities to find out if we can see these people.’’Ssekindi said.
However one of the commissioners Crispin Kaheru cautioned those security agents who arrest and detain people without following the due process of the law to stop it immediately as they are invoking the prevention and prohibition of the torture act to hold individual officers liable for their acts.
``Holding people incommunicado, violating their freedom by torture or ill treatment, we are going to invoke the prevention and prohibition of the torture act and those found guilty will have to pay a heavy price. Kaheru emphasized.
Speaking about the human rights situation in the country, Kaheru noted that despite the challenges there are strides that have been made by Government towards the realization of human rights in areas of fulfillment its international treaty reporting obligations in respect to the international convention against torture and the universal periodic review.
He notes that unlike the previous lock down of Covid19, where the commission received several complaints of harassment and degrading treatment by security agencies, the complaints from the two districts of Mubende and Kasanda which are under lock down are minimal .
The commission has now encouraged the security agencies to continue observing the human rights in the enforcement of the Ebola lock down and also pledged to continue monitoring the situation until the lock down is lifted.
Kaheru has also applauded, the Human rights committee of parliament for reviewing a number of reports by the commission and come up with a report that will soon be tabled before parliament for approval``For the first time in many years the Human rights committee of parliament sat and reviewed a number of human rights reports for the years 2018,2019,2020 and 2021.
Meanwhile the commission working with other human rights organizations such as African center for treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims, United Nations human rights , German Cooperation, National Alliance of agriculture cooperatives, Renal reform international and others have lined up a number of activities in commemoration of the international Human rights day.
The activities will include a high level symposium on sexual and gender based violence and access to justice, conduct community outreaches and talk shows to access the progress of adhering to human rights among others.
The international day on Human rights is cerebrated every 10th of December and the celebrations are used by stakeholders to take stock of the progress made towards the realization of human rights and to reflect on the challenges faced and look for solutions.
This year’s National celebrations will be held at Nakawuka stadium in Kajansi town council in Wakiso district.