Woman loses baby after police beatings over curfew
By Zainab Namusaazi
A woman in Bukomansimbi has lost her baby after she was arrested by police for violating curfew deadlines.
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Irene Namwiriya was arrested March 9 by police after she was found by patrolling police officers in her shop in Bukomansimbi town council after the 9pm curfew.
Namwiriya claims that the police officers did not give her a chance to explain why her shop was still open. She claims that they proceeded to manhandle her as they ordered her to close the shop immediately.
She says that one of the two officers kicked her in the lower abdomen, as they manhandled her, despite her pleas that she was pregnant.
Bleeding from the beating, Namwiriya sought treatment at Butenga health centre.
Namwiriya shows where she was beaten by police
A nurse at the hospital popularly known as Mussawo Majo examined Namwiriya and confirmed that she was pregnant at the time of the beating. She added the dire news that Namwiriya was likely to lose the pregnancy unless she urgently received adequate treatment and two weeks bed rest.
However, before Namwiriya could begin on that rest, she was arrested by police again on March 17, 2021 after sharing her experience with relatives. Police allegedly arrested her falsely claiming she was pregnant and attempting to tarnish the force’s image.
The decision was defended by Masaka regional police spokesperson Muhammad Nsubuga.
At the time, Nsubuga said, "We have an examination form from Butenga hospital that confirms that the woman was not pregnant and now we are going to take her to courts of law to be charged of harassment because she harassed my officer who was on duty using a spade that damaged his body.”
Namwiriya’s condition declined as she raised an alarm that she was bleeding from her extremities in police custody. She was again rushed to a health centre where she said she miscarried.
At this point, Bukomansimbi RDC Teopista Lule Ssenkugu stepped in and convinced the police not to return Namwiriya into custody.
Presently, Namwiriya continues to receive treatment and with her husband absorb the news of their loss.
President Yoweri Museveni declared a curfew in Uganda in March 2020 as part of restrictions to curb the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak.
