Security Minister, Hon Gen Elly Tumwine, has told the parliamentary committee on human rights that safe houses in the country are used for positive purposes and not torture or any other bad thing as alleged.
The General said that a safe house is a secure place used for intelligence work, adding that all intelligence and security agencies world over operate them.
“I know that no law establishes safe houses but I am also aware that no law bars safe houses,” Gen Tumwine said.
He also noted that while there is no law that supports the existence of safe houses, no law bars it either.
The minister also said that no Ugandan should be worried because safe houses are there to correct wrongs and not to violate people’s rights.
He also noted that before one becomes a freedom fighter, they must be human rights activists. The General noted that, as the minister, he doesn’t condone torture and noted that President Museveni would not tolerate violation of human rights.
Gen Tumwine also reiterated his position that the MPs are not welcome to visit safe houses in the country for security reasons.
Some functions of a safe house
• To coordinate clandestine intelligence operations
• To debrief and re-brief intelligence assets
• To secure and protect witnesses in danger, especially criminals who have turned into witnesses
• To secure persons who come seeking to be protected by the state for various security reasons
• To manage hard-core criminals who require a long time to reform and now need observation and surveillance.