The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, has availed pictures of UPDF soldiers who allegedly tortured a suspect in Mucwini.

“Under arrest! Here are the pictures of the soldiers who tortured a civilian in Mucwini. Mucwini is the birthplace of St. Janani Luwum! Let the blood of our martyrs prick our consciences and compel us to do what is right rather than what is convenient!” Mato tweeted.

This after a video that appears to show a group of soldiers torturing a man stunned defence state minister Jacob Oboth, who ordered an investigation into the incident.

The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the victim bound and suspended by ropes being beaten severely inside a building.

It is said the horrifying incident was captured in Mucwini sub-county in Kitgum district.

“This is unbelievable regardless of the crime or offence, torture is outlawed. This must be investigated immediately to identify, isolate and punish the perpetrators,” Oboth, who is also the West Budama Central MP, said on Twitter, on Wednesday.

He was reacting to a post by Dr Kenneth Omona, the Principal Private Secretary to President Yoweri Museveni, in which he (Omona) said he could not believe the incident occurred in Uganda until he heard a language he knows fairly well.

“The man pleads to be taken for identification or they will discover he was beaten innocently. Those barbaric men with sticks don’t deserve any position of authority in our country,” Omona, a former MP, tweeted.

He thanked the minister for calling for an investigation.

Gathering facts

Ventorino Otto, the chairperson of the KINGFO executive committee, condemned the incident.

“We have reliably been informed that this heinous abuse of authority occurred in Mucwini. Whatever the reason, this is totally inhuman, grossly degrading and utterly illegal. It must be condemned in very strong and clear terms by all law-abiding citizens of the civilized world,” he said in a statement.

He said he was reporting on behalf of civil society organizations in Kitgum and Lamwo districts that their attention had been drawn to a “horrific video in circulation on social media, depicting officers of government engaged in the outlawed act of torture of a suspect.”

Otto also said as member organizations of the Kitgum and Lamwo NGO Forum, they were going to gather the facts and release a comprehensive position statement in due course.

“In the meantime, we can only say we are encouraged by the initial statement made and steps taken by the RDC (Residence District Commissioner), Jimmy Ebil. We trust his office is going to follow this to the letter and keep the public informed of the steps being taken. We call for calm and rally all to support the efforts of the RDC and his security team,” he said.

National Unity Platform party president, Robert Kyagulanyi, alleged that the UPDF soldiers were under the command of a Gombolola Intelligence Security Officer.

“Despite his pleas that he is innocent, they do not stop beating him. They simply want him to accept that he stole the motorcycle or they will continue the torture,” he said.

By the time of filing this story, both the army and the Police had not yet spoken out.