The Uganda Human Rights commission (UHRC) on Monday commenced
investigating two Special Forces Command (SFC) soldiers accused of
violating rights of the people of Entebbe municipality during this
year’s polls. The SFC bosses under probe are Maj. Mac dan Kamugira
(Director civil military affairs) and Capt. Barbra Balungi (political
commissar) both attached to Entebbe state house).
The probe followed a petition dated 27 November 2016 which was
presented on Monday to the Uganda Human Rights commission by Leonard
Senoga Mivule, the chairperson of Democratic Party in Entebbe
Municipality accusing the two SFC bosses of being behind the shooting
of two party supporters during the mayoral polls on 2 March 2016. The
victims who recorded statements at the Uganda Human Rights commission
office include James Sewankambo and Ronald Bbosa.
Wilfred Asiimwe, the Regional Human Rights Commission officer in
Central Region, said he has assigned a team of human rights
investigators to probe the two SFC soldiers accused of violating human
rights, in addition to ordering the shooting of two Democratic Party
supporters at Katabi ward, St. Joseph polling center during the
mayoral election on 2 march 2016.
Asiimwe noted that the Uganda Human Rights commission shall use the
available resources to investigate the matter in which the accused
soldiers allegedly violated human rights and after investigations the
matter shall be referred to the Commission Court to take appropriate
action against the accused persons in the event they’re found guilty
of violating human rights.
He asked the complainants to cooperate with the Human rights
commission to expedite both investigations and the trial process.
According to the petition that was presented to the Uganda Human
Rights Commission, Leonard Senoga Mivule, the chairperson of
Democratic Party in Entebbe Municipality, contends that Maj. Mac Dan
Kamugira and Capt. Barbra Balungi allegedly orchestrated the horrific
shooting which marred the mayoral polls on 2 march 2016 at Katabi
Ward, St. Joseph polling station. He asserts that article 52 clause
1(e) & (f) of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda, the
whistleblower Act allows them as DP to present their case before the
Uganda Human Rights Commission(UHRC).
Senoga claims that the accused SFC soldiers acted unprofessional
during the mayoral polls which resulted into a scuffle that severely
affected the entire electoral process and shooting of two Democratic
Party supporters. He adds that the accused turned violent goons by
unleashing terror and fear on innocent voters who had converged to
exercise their constitutional right to vote of a leader of their
choice.
He asserts that on the fateful day, the duo allegedly commanded a
group of SFC soldiers who raided the polling center in a tinted Toyota
Ipsum and clobbered innocent civilians indiscriminately which
compelled the voters to flee the polling center.
The DP boss contends their supporters are currently incapacitated and
wants the Human rights body to compel the accused soldiers to
compensate the victims and to dismiss all the SFC soldiers that
participated in the shootings that led to violation of human rights.
He further wants the Human Rights commission to refrain police and SFC
from participating in partisan politics arguing that majority of them
were cited during campaigns donning yellow T-shirts belonging to NRM.
