Mpuuga: "Kakwenza's nails were plucked out, he was made to dance nonstop during the night"

Critical writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija currently held at Kitalya prison, has told the leader of opposition, Mathias Mpuuga that one of the torture sessions required him to stay awake and dance nonstop as soldiers hurled insults and beat him up.

This was revealed by Mpuuga after he visited Kakwenza at Kitalya prison on Monday.'

"His finger nails have patches of blood caused by injuries he sustained during the torture sessions. He told me that the soldiers used a pair of pliers to pluck his finger nails and other body parts before being made to dance nonstop throughout the day and night," Mpuuga said.

Mpuuga said the critical writer, who is also the PEN Prize International writer of courage, is healing but his body is full of scars, adding that some of them depict the magnitude of the torture the writer went through.

"Healing scars and other marks of torture covered his body as he slightly limped into the room where I was seated. He lowered his yellow mask to smile at me but I read pain written all over his face," Mpuuga said.

Mpuuga said if  Uganda was a different country, the commander of Land Forces, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba would either resign or be arrested with his accomplices for  allegedly “ordering the torture” of the poetical activist Kakwenza.

The writer is battling charges related to offensive communication contrary to section 25 of the Computer Misuse Act 2011 for allegedly abusing Muhoozi on social media.

"If you share his experience you get to understand how mankind can develop an immoral instinct against others. You cannot believe in this time and era, a government soldier can without an iota of shame torture a citizen and get away with it," he told the Nile Post.

Mpuuga said the citizens must stand up on their feet and reject this level of impunity, noting that they cannot go on as they look on because anybody can anytime be subjected to such a kind of situation.

A medical report by the Uganda Prisons Services confirmed that Kakwenza had been tortured following his arrest and detention by security agencies.

Uganda Human Rights Commission also said that they had seen scars and signs of torture on Kakwenza's body.