It was always going to be an uphill task for the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to have the Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura to appear before investigators to account for the torture of suspects in Nalufenya.
As expected, Gen Kayihura did not show up and to make matters worse, he didn’t delegate any officer to represent him as it has always been the case when he doesn’t have time.
TheUgandan can authoritatively reveal that Gen Kayihura was uncomfortable with the questions that investigators were likely to ask him.
Among the issues which the commission had lined up were the allegations raised by suspects who were tortured and ordered to link security minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde to the killing of Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
The real issue
It has come to the knowledge of TheUgandan that the UHRC had interviewed several suspects detained at Nalufenya including the two suspects who were tortured at the hands of police with an aim of extracting extrajudicial statements linking Gen Tumukunde to the murder of AIGP Kaweesi.
A former Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) operative; Akiramu Sekajja accuses the Police of torturing him and ordering him to confess that Gen Tumukunde had sent him to kill the former police spokesman, advising him that such a statement would buy him his freedom.
Another ex-security operative, Pte Galabuzi Musisi was tortured severely before he was reportedly offered Shs1Billion to implicate Gen Tumukunde in the gruesome murder of AIGP Felix Kaweesi.
Our sources indicate that the UHRC was armed with all the facts and were ready to confront the IGP had he appeared before the investigators.
The summons
The UHRC had invited Gen Kayihura alongside the Chief of Defense Forces Gen David Muhoozi the Chieftaincy of Millitary Intelligence boss KAndiho to give a formal explanation on the torture of suspects accused of killing former police spokesman AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
The Defense State Minister, Col Charles Okello Engola and representatives from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, Uganda Prison Services and Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF showed up for the meeting but Kayihura was no show.
More torture in Nalufenya
Last month, images photographs of tortured Kamwenge Town Council Mayor, Mr Geoffrey Byamukama, and other suspects detained on allegations of killing former police spokesman, Andrew Felix Kaweesi were awash in the media with human rights activists condemning the acts and calling for investigations.
This was followed by a letter from President Museveni warning security chiefs in charge to desist from the acts of torture.
Other observers were quick to liken President Museveni’s regime with that of former Presidents Idi Amin Dada and Apollo Milton Obote whose regimes were characterized by torture of innocent Ugandans.
So far three police officers have been arrested in connection with the torture of Mr Byamukama who was treated at Nakasero Hospital before he was taken back to the dreaded Nalufenya.
Mr Amooti Katebalirwe, the acting Chairperson UHRC, told reporters that although most of the accusations are against the Police, they didn’t send any representatives.