Coronavirus: Ugandan Cartoonist Spire runs to lawyers to free self from "illegal quarantine"
Ugandan cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo has sought the intervention of lawyers to have him ‘freed’ from what he terms as illegal and prolonged detention.
Ssentongo returned to the country from London on March 18th, however, he has been held in quarantine since then.
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Initially, the ministry claimed they were doubling his and other people’s quarantine since “standards had not been met’.
“We came back on 18th March and have been locked up since then. Some ministers and their relatives did only 14 days at their own terms and theirs is okay! Some never quarantined at all,” Ssentongo said last week.
“It is very painful to still be in here hearing of many people who started their quarantine after me being released. Nevertheless, the second sample has been taken for testing, as promised. Hopefully, we shall leave this place tomorrow or Wednesday - depending on the speed of testing and releasing results plus clearance certificates. Except if I’m miraculously positive, I’m only looking forward to leaving this place - no more twists. The status of other people at the Center shouldn’t arise as a determinant of my fate, I’ve been in my room,” he added 4 days later.
Ssentongo now has sought the help of Centre For Legal Aid advocates headed by Isaac Ssemakadde, who have written to the ministry of health to seek for an understanding which will lead to his ‘release’ from quarantine.
“We represent Mr. Jimmy Ssentongo and other similar situated Ugandans that have since March 21, 2020, been quarantined at Arch Apartments, Ntinda. Our clients have already been in institutional quarantine for the mandatory fourteen (14) days. However, we understand that you or your officers have abused or misused your powers under the law to delay the issuing of discharging certificates whilst making a series of unjustified claims in the media to the detriment of our clients’ health and dignity,” Ssemakade notes in a letter to MOH.
Ssemakade argues that additional quarantine for his clients in irrational, arbitrary and unreasonable.
“Consequently, our law-abiding clients feel they are being treated like guinea pigs, yet they are neither pigs nor do they come from Guinea,” he adds.
He claims that Ssentongo and others have been subjected to unlawful detention, torture, cruel, degrading and inhumane treatment as well as unclean and unhealthy environment which is contrary to articles 23, 24, and 39 of the constitution of Uganda and Rule 13 of the Public Health (Control of the Covid-19) rules 2020.
“Accordingly, we urgently request for a principled engagement with relevant officials from the ministry of health to design more rational and reasonable arrangements that will lead to our clients being discharged from the institutional quarantine promptly and equitably, without endangering the public,” Ssemakade concludes.
