Novelist Rukirabashaija Kakwenza has said that among the people he met during his torture and kidnap is the UPDF commander of Land Forces Gen. Muhoozi Keinerugaba who attempted to entice him with job offers and sums of money but he refused.
Kakwenza’s claims are detailed in a notice of application he filed in court today, seeking to quash the charges slapped against him by state, for alleged use of offensive language against President Yoweri Museveni and First son, Gen Muhoozi Keinerugaba.
In miscleneous application number 20 of 2022 filed in Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court, Kakwenza moves court to nulify the criminal proceedings against him on grounds that there was gross violation of his freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and his right to fair trial.
Kakwenza also narrates the ordeal of tortured in dungeons that were manned by SFC military in Entebbe, including being kept incommunicado in blindfolds, repeated beatings with various metalic objects, and forced to dance to blasting noise for 23 hours a day, at gun point.
During torture sessions that happened between 28th December 2021 and 11th Jan 2022, Kakwenza claims he was deprived sleep, undressed and severely flogged by his tormentors focusing on the back, butt, legs, arms, nails, fingers and thighs until he lost consciousness. The beatings, he says, caused him to bleed profoundly and inflicted wounds on his body.
“Among the people who met me during my torture and kidnap was Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Keinerugaba who offered me jobs including working with him and other SFC generals gagged me from talking to the media and the public about the torture.” Kakwenza’s application reads in part.
“My position to the torturers was clear; that i am not interested in any appointments, not interested in material posessions which were tied to the conditions of the dictator. This has been my position ever since the regime intetested itself in my writings” He adds.
“I emphasized to them that i do not criticise government because i need such benefits but because of my decent respect for rule of law and good governance. One cannot genuinely fight injustice and then begin to praise it because he has received material benefits.” Kakwenza stated.
From SFC dungeons in Entebbe, Kakwenza says he was later transfered to Kireka Special Investigations Unit on Monday 10th January 2022 where he was picked the following morning and driven to Buganda Road Court, charged before Chief Magistrate Dr. Douglas Singiza in absense of his lawyers, and sent to Kitalya Prison despite his outcry of hoe badly he was tortured.
Kakwenza claims, even when he was finally granted bail, his torturers kidnapped him at the prison gate, drove him to Makindye military barracks where he was again asked what he wanted in order to stop writing.
He also claims, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Keninerugaba met him at Makindye barracks and presented to him several offers which he rejected.
Now Kakwenza wants all criminal proceedings against him regarding alleged offensive comminication quashed or reffered to the High Court since his non-degradable rights and freedoms were violated. He also pleads that court stays proceedings in his case pending determination of the High Court in accordance with Section 1, 2 and 3 of The Human Rights Enforcement Act 2019.