Report cites lax security, invisible hand, for break-ins of NGO offices

A report into the increasing break-ins of offices of civil society organisations has laid the blame squarely on the NGOs saying they have not put in place stringent security measures.

The report titled: Until an NGO Serving You is Targeted" was complied by the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD).

It followed a delay by the police to compile a report on the break-ins, months after the affected NGOs recorded statements.

NCHRD engaged a private investigator to carry out investigations in the matter.

"The absence of police reports raises more questions such as whether the attacks are acts of common criminality or targeted acts supported by elements in government who have an interest of silencing the CSOs," said Prossy Babirye, the acting executive director, NCHRD-U.

Babirye said some of the CSO offices were broken into because there was some laxity in security protocol.

 The report also revealed that since 2011 up to date over 34 NGO offices have been broken in but of these no police report has been released.

"The break-ins show that they might have been some insiders and others show that there was a government hand due to delays by police to release the report," she said

NGO offices that have been broken into over the last couple of years include: Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), the Anti- Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU), Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), Save for Health Uganda (SHU), Action for Community Development (ACODV), office of the Human Rights Network for Journalists, MIFUMI and others.

Jovah Kamateka, the Woman MP for Mitooma district urged the human rights defenders to always follow the law as they defend the rights of other people.