By Watchdog reporter
Last week on the 17th May, 2017 the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga directed the Parliamentary Human Rights committee to travel to Nalufenya detention to establish the legal status of Nalufenya Police facility especially in regard to the detention of suspects.
The speaker’s order came at the moment when police is under public spotlight after harshly torturing suspects in the murder of slain police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi. What broke the camel’s back was the incident of Kamwenge LC3 chairperson Geoffrey Byamukama who was tortured to the extent of almost killing him. Many high profiled people have come out to condemn such evil act.
After the directive, the committee managed to access and tour Nalufenya Detention Centre but the information they got from there is not pleasing at all especially to Ugandans who are fearing for their lives in this incurring insecurity situation.
While delivering a minority report regarding the torture allegations in the detention centre during a plenary hearing today at parliament, the committee stated that the two senior officers accused of torturing Byamukama and other suspects have never been arrested and that they are still walking free in Jinja.
“The two senior officers accused of torture were never arrested, they are still walking free in Jinja,”
MPs have also stated that the Police officers also offered CCV TV footage claiming that the Mayor was brought into Nalufenya walking. However the officers accused of torturing Byamukama denied the allegations.
The committee has also not independently verify the allegations of torture since the visit wasn’t impromptu.
The chairperson of the committee, Jova Kamateka (Woman MP Mitooma) said prior to going to Nalufenya, many of the detainees were transported to Luzira adding that the visit was not spontaneous, the committee couldn’t verify the real conditions.
The committee thus has called for immediate closure of Nalufenya citing that it is an illegal detention facility since the circular from IGP Kale Kayihura written revoking original status as a station.
‘We recommended that the illegal detention placed called Nalufenya should be immediately closed,”
Meanwhile, State Minister for Internal Affairs Kania Obiga has told parliament that Nalufenya is a legal Police station that handles sensitive criminal suspects and that he cannot comment on the arrest of the suspects for the matter is before court.
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