The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has directed Security Minister, Gen. Elly Tumwine to present a statement to Parliament about the presences of safe houses and why Ugandans are reportedly behind held there.
Kadaga also told the Human Rights Committee of parliament to investigate claims about the presence of safe houses in Lwamayuba and Kyengera where several Ugandans are reportedly tortured. The committee is also expected to report back to the House.
She issued the directive after Latif Ssebaggala, the Kawempe North Member of Parliament and his Arua Municipality counterpart, Kassiano Wadri claimed that Ugandans are being held in ungazetted places.
Ssebaggala brought up the issue as a matter of national importance citing several complaints about missing persons from different constituencies across the country.
He explained that he was approached by some people over the weekend who managed to escape after allegedly being kidnapped by ISO operatives.
The Arua Municipality MP, Kassiano Wadri reported a case of kidnap and rights violation to parliament. He claimed that Jamila Asha Atim, a record clerk at Arua Regional Referral Hospital was kidnapped by men in a white vehicle on April 17th, 2019 as she was heading home.
He explained that Atim’s relative approached police, which wasn’t aware of the incident.
“As the relatives went further to try and find out from other security agencies, it was later discovered that Atim is being detained in Kyengera Safe House along Kampala-Masaka road. In this same Safe House people have undergone horrendous torture, they are given one meal in four days,” said Kassiano.
He told parliament that by the time Atim was arrested, she was carrying four months pregnant, which she lost through miscarriage as a result of the torture that she underwent together with her colleagues.
Kassiano said that Atim is detained in the Safe House together with a one Akram who was picked up from Nwoya district and others identified as Salima, Hagan, and Nagima of Somali origin.
He said another suspect he identified as Patrick Kidega was recently moved to Kalangala.
Wadri demanded the unconditional release of the suspects.
He said that horrendous stories continue to be told about the Kyengera Safe House, saying there is a need for the intervention of parliament to stop the vice.