Former presidential candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye, has questioned why the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) can’t use its constitutional powers to summon and question those known or suspected of illegally “holding and torturing” novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija.
Kakwenza was on December, 28 arrested by security for allegedly abusing the First son also commander Land Forces Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba on social media.
He has been in detention since then but on January 4, Makindye Chief Magistrate Court ordered that the author be unconditionally released from police custody. It was ignored.
Yesterday, the High Court in Kampala issued another order asking security to produce, Kakwenza dead or alive.
By the time of writing this, the directive had not been adhered to by security.
Besigye wondered why UHRC can't use its constitutional powers to bite.
"They are abdicating their responsibility making them share in crimes of human rights abusers," Besigye said of UHRC.
UHRC, a government body mandated to monitor and advance human rights in Uganda last week said it has failed to locate the whereabouts of Rukirabashaija.
It said whereas it is barred from investigating Kakwenza’s case since it is currently in court, they would be visiting various detention centres to ascertain his condition.