By Aggrey Baba
In a world where justice sometimes moves as slow as a tortoise, the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has taken a bold step to correct past wrongs.
In its latest tribunal sitting in Lira City, recently, the commission awarded a total of Shs140 million to victims of human rights violations in the Lango Sub-region.
The tribunal, chaired by UHRC Chairperson Hon. Mariam Wangadya, along with members Hon. Crispin Kaheru, Hon. Col. Steven Basaliza, and Hon. Lamex Omara Apitta, ruled in favor of three victims whose rights were grossly abused.
One of the most heartbreaking cases was that of 83-year-old Ms. Alango Katorin, who received Shs65 million in compensation after her son, Adyebo Francis, was brutally killed.
Adyebo was picked from Erute Prison by Lira Police on October 26, 2007, for further interrogation, only for his lifeless body to be found hours later at Lira Hospital Mortuary with bullet wounds in his forehead and chest.
Hon. Apitta, reading the tribunal’s decision, noted that Adyebo was a young man with a bright future ahead of him, yet his life was abruptly cut short.
The tribunal condemned the acts of former Lira District Police Commander Otim Rymond and recommended further investigations into the case, with the intention of charging him with murder.
In another case, Ms. Cissy Akello was awarded Shs60 million after her husband, Patrick Olum, was tortured to death by prison officers at Amolatar Government Prison in 2008.
Olum, who had been arrested for violating fishing regulations, suffered brutal treatment at the hands of prison warders. He was tied to a tree, mercilessly beaten, and eventually succumbed to his injuries.
The tribunal described Olum’s treatment as inhumane and degrading, likening it to slavery. His body was later dumped in a wheelbarrow and transported to a health center with no regard for human dignity.
The third case involved Mr. Alake Michael, who was tortured during a joint operation by the Uganda Police and the UPDF in 2009. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal firearms and was subjected to severe beatings, including blows from a gun butt to the head.
While another suspect, Morris Abak, failed to prove his claims, Alake’s case was found to be valid, earning him Shs15 million in compensation.
The UHRC did not mince words in reminding the security forces of their constitutional duty to protect human rights.
The commission warned both the UPDF and police against engaging in acts of torture and extrajudicial killings, emphasizing that Article 221 of the Constitution explicitly forbids such violations.
“Under no circumstances whatsoever can torture be acceptable,” Hon. Kaheru stated.
While money cannot bring back the lives lost or erase the trauma endured, the Shs140 million compensation serves as a recognition of the victims’ suffering and a warning to those who abuse their power.
The UHRC continues to play its role in ensuring that justice, no matter how delayed, is eventually served. After all, as the saying goes, [A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future]. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
