Law Society warns security organs against violating rule of law, good governance

The Uganda Law Society(ULS) has warned security agencies against the consistent pattern of violation of the rule of law and good governance in the country.

Speaking at the launch of their quarterly report on the state of rule of law in the country, ULS president Simon Peter Kinobe said in the past, security organs and intelligence bodies have been found on the wrong side of the law citing detention of suspects for more than the 48 hour mandatory time.

“The former Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale Kayihura together with other senior police officers have been arrested and spent more than two weeks without any appearances in courts of law,”Kinobe said on Tuesday at Serena hotel in Kampala.

Gen.Kayihura was arrested together with the former cyber-crime head Richard Ndaboine, former crime intelligence director Col Ndahura Atwooki, the former Flying Squad commander Herbert Muhangi, former Professional Standards Unit Commander Good Mwesigwa and Lt Col Peter Musherure, the former deputy police director of crime intelligence among others.

Of all these, Col. Ndahura is the only one to have been arraigned in a military court and charged.

Recently, the High Court Civil Division issued a harbeus corpus to have Movit Products Managing Director Simpson Birungi produced in court by the Internal Security Organisation but since then he has never been produced or arraigned in any court.

“We call upon the security organs to follow the 48 hour rule in regards suspects or else we shall not tolerate the impunity.”

Uganda Law Society president also pointed out the recent arrest of Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament, Betty Nambooze by police and her later detention while on the sickbed at Kiruddu hospital despite pleas to have her released so she could fly to India for treatment.

He noted that one reason President Museveni went to the bush is to fight impunity but noted that some security organs act with impunity while doing their work, a thing he said is wrong.

“We shall file private proceedings and prosecutions against the individual police officers. As long as they disregard orders of court, we shall take them to court,”Kinobe said.

“We have started a process of profiling these individuals in a bid to prosecute them and we shall take the notch higher if local courts fail.”

In response, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, who was the chief guest, said every Ugandan has a stake and role of ensuring the rule of law in the country.

“A country where there is recognition of the rule of law is a better country,”Oulanyah said.