Summary:
Pauline Nansamba Mutumba, Acting Director of Complaints, Investigations, and Legal Services at UHRC, confirmed that the commission has a backlog of 1,100 cases, with 800 currently under investigation.
SOROTI: The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has awarded a total of Shs 74 million to victims of human rights violations in Soroti District.
The tribunal, which commenced on Monday and will run until February 27, 2025, is handling 18 cases, with three complainants successfully receiving compensation.
Pauline Nansamba Mutumba, Acting Director of Complaints, Investigations, and Legal Services at UHRC, confirmed that the commission has a backlog of 1,100 cases, with 800 currently under investigation.
Among the successful complainants, David Olobo was awarded UGX 10 million for damages and compensation following torture by police officers in 2013. Another case involved the widow and family of Gilbert Cherotwo, who were awarded UGX 60 million after he lost his life at the hands of the police.
Lawrence Ojur received UGX 4 million for his unlawful arrest and beating by police in 2009 after being accused—wrongly, according to him—of defiling a girl.
However, Ojur expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation, stating that it did not adequately reflect the severity of the violations he endured.
Meanwhile, the tribunal dismissed Tom Opolot’s complaint against the Attorney General due to contradictory statements. Opolot had alleged that police officers attacked and tortured him during an arrest in 2012, but the court ruled against him.
Josephine Akello, Regional Head of UHRC in Soroti, reported that the region has 164 pending cases, with 70 still under investigation. The tribunal session, chaired by Hon. Mariam Wangadya, saw the attendance of other commissioners and legal professionals. The majority of cases involved human rights violations by the police and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF).
Nansamba reiterated the commission’s commitment to reducing the backlog, expressing hope for significant improvement within the next two to three years. The tribunal’s rulings received mixed reactions, with some complainants grateful for the compensation, while others felt the awards were insufficient or that justice had not been fully served.
On Friday last week, the UHRC tribunal also awarded a total of UGX 140 million to victims of human rights violations in the Lango Sub-region. The second tribunal sitting, held at the newly established Lira Regional Office, awarded:
- UGX 65 million to Ms. Alango Katorin, 83, whose son, Adyebo Francis, died during interrogation by CID officers from Lira Police Station.
- UGX 60 million to Ms. Cissy Akello, whose husband was tortured to death by prison officers.
- UGX 15 million to Alake Michael, who was tortured in a joint UPDF and police operation to recover illegally possessed firearms.
The tribunal, chaired by Hon. Mariam Wangadya, alongside commissioners Hon. Crispin Kaheru, Hon. Col. Steven Basaliza, and Hon. Lamex Omara Apitta, issued stern warnings to the UPDF and police against human rights violations and reminded them of their constitutional duty to protect human rights.
In the tribunal’s first decision, read by Hon. Apitta, it was revealed that Adyebo Francis was taken from Erute Prison by then Lira District Police Commander Otim Rymond on October 26, 2007, for further investigation into a murder case. Later that day, his body was found at Lira Hospital Mortuary with bullet wounds to the forehead and chest. The commission condemned Otim’s actions as criminal and recommended that the Director of CID investigate and charge him with murder.
In a separate decision delivered by Hon. Col. Basaliza, the tribunal found that Patrick Olum, who had been arrested on June 7, 2008, for breaching fishing regulations, was beaten to death by prison officers at Amolatar Government Prison. The commission highlighted that while Olum may have used an illegal fishing net, his death was an unjustifiable and tragic consequence of inhumane treatment by the prison officials. The tribunal also criticized the dehumanization Olum endured, including being tied to a tree, brutally kicked, and later transported to a health center in a wheelbarrow.
In a third ruling delivered by Hon. Kaheru, the tribunal found that Michael Olake and Morris Abak were arrested on September 21, 2009, during a joint UPDF and police operation to recover illegal firearms. While Abak’s claims were unproven, Olake successfully demonstrated that soldiers from the Special Investigations Branch (SIB) of the 4th Infantry Division had tortured him. The tribunal determined that his treatment constituted cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.
The commission reminded the UPDF of its obligation to respect human rights, citing Article 221 of the Constitution, which prohibits torture under any circumstances.
The UHRC, under Articles 52 and 53 of the Constitution of Uganda, has the mandate to receive complaints, investigate human rights violations, and award damages or offer other remedies where violations are confirmed. Its ongoing tribunal sessions remain a critical mechanism for delivering justice and compensation to victims of human rights abuses.
