The Katikkiro of Buganda Kingdom Charles Peter Mayiga has raised concern over persistent acts of torture by security opetatives in Uganda, saying their actions undermine the essense behind commemoration of Janan Luwum Day.
Mayiga’s frustration is concealed in his message on Janani Luwum Day -a holiday commemorated every 16th February in Uganda to remember the life and service of the former archbishop of the Anglican Church who is typically regarded as having been murdered by state agents on the orders of the then-President Idi Amin.
“It’s a contradiction and shame that we commemorate the murder of Archbishop Janan Luwum by Idi Amin when state security operatives torture Ugandans in this manner, today. Respect for human rights is the foundation for democracy and progress.” Mayiga posted on Twitter today.
Alongside the message, the Premier who is lawyer by profession, also posted a photo of a one Eric Mwesigwa whose gruesome pictures depicting torture have gone viral. Mwesigwa has wounds on his body allegedly inflicted by security agents while in undisclosed detention center.
In a short video, a teary Mwesigwa who surffaced at Opposition NUP offices in Kamwokya last week, is heard sobbing that the President and Commander in Chief Gen. Yoweri Museveni can break his body but not his spirit.
On February 13, NUP boss Robert Kyagulanyi who revealed Mwesigwa tweeted:
“Here’s what Gen. Museveni’s thugs did to our comrade Mwesigwa Eric, who we’ve been looking for these past two weeks. They abducted him & tortured him asking what Bobi Wine and NUP are planning to do to “overthrow the government”. What a group of cold-hearted criminals!!!”
Then followed a barrage of messages from politicians, human rights defenders and sympathizers all condemning the horrible acts meted on Mwesigwa whose bare chest shows big wounds allegedly from a hot metal. He also claims he suffered other grave torture acts at the hands of his captors.
However, the spokesperson for the Army -UPDF Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye advised Mwesigwa to seek help from police and the Uganda Human Rights Commission because there exists no record that he was in any of the gazetted security detention centers.
“Having done a thorough check on all security agencies, it has been established that one Mwesigwa Eric was not in the hands of any security agency. We advise him to go to the UHRC and report or the police so that we can commence an intensive investigation.” Kulayigye stated.
