KAMPALA — The Uganda Human Rights Commission has grilled former Old Kampala Police boss Joram Mwesigye for torturing the envoy’s son a one Sengooba.
A source who attended the meeting told this website that Mwesigye told the rights commission that he was enforcing a directive from ‘Above’.
“Those were directives from our appointing authority” former Regional Police Commander Mr. Mwesigye is quoted to have said.
He reportedly added that Sengooba deserved it because he disrespected the President, Parliament, and Police as an institution where “I work as a commander.”
Mwesigye also told the Human Rights Commissioners that Sengooba and his A4C group are both unlawful and dangerous to peace—revealing that its the reason why the government stopped its political activities under the Attorney General’s Statutory Instrument 2014 No.C23.
Ugandan authorities have since declared the group a terrorist organization.
Mwesigye said the Police, had received intelligence reports that Sengooba’s friends and also the members of the A4C youth were regrouping to help him escape from lawful Police custody.
“Other hooligans were regrouping to cause chaos, throwing stones, boxing, and kicking us,” Mwesigye added.
Police had fired randomly and threw tear gas and pepper sprays into crowds, A4C supporters were arrested and charged in Army Court with Offensive Communication (offending the President and disturbing his peace), unlawful assemblies, sectarianism, inciting violence, and treason-related charges.
As stated on A4C’s Facebook page A4C’s agendas were to foster a peaceful change of government.
The Human rights body noted that on 1st December 2011 between the home of the former envoy, late Bakayana, and Old Kampala Police, Mr. Mwesigye and his officers brutally arrested and tortured Sengooba K. Robert, Mubiru, and other journalists from the now-defunct Wava Broadcasting Services (WBS-TV) who were covering the arrest of A4C, political activist Sengooba, when police officers led by Ex RPC Mwesigye descended on them and beating them with long sticks, batons, and electric wires.
Mwesigye had damaged video cameras belonging to journalists after they refused to erase video they had captured during the brutal arrest of Sengooba, according to witnesses.
” Xray reports from Mengo hospital dated 18.12.2011 shows that Mr. Sengooba’s nerves were affected and suffered spinal injuries inflicted on him by his tortures report reads apart”
Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) the communications sector regulator has banned all Media houses from posting or writing stories of torture insisting that they have exaggerated Sengooba & journalist Mubiru’s torture cases, State House Press Unit & Uganda Communication Commission Press releases read apart”
The Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Mr.Kaggwa M. Ssozi told journalists that he’s being threatened by people he believes to be security operatives via phone calls and personal emails and that they’re obstructing him from enforcing his constitutional mandate under Art 51.
“Indeed am scared but I will go on with the mandate as Chairperson of Uganda Human Rights. It’s worth not noting that HE. The President had threatened to ban Human Right body describing it as useless.”
“Our website Manager was threatened and ordered by security people to delete our press release concerning our visit to detained Sengooba and his torture claims while in detention.” he said.
The Human Rights Commission Commission also indicated that on 1st December 2011 two A4C youths were killed by Police while the others two were shot with rubber bullets. Sengooba was gravely tortured on top of being denied medical care
He would later be taken to Mengo Hospital after the intervention of Human Rights Chairperson Mr.Kaggwa and Dr. Makumbi, the Chief of Police & UPDF Medical Services.
A freelancer journalist Mubiru K formerly working with WBS TV Station was also tortured, denied medical care & later died in the Old Kampala police cell.
It is worth noting that Sengooba’s maternal uncle Mr. Kisolo Richard, a Ugandan/British & a Conservative party member in the United Kingdom (UK) had petitioned British, Premier David Cameron to stop funding Uganda & ban Ugandan Government Officials from entering the UK.
