Human Rights body condemns Luzira shooting

Jan 25, 2012

Uganda Human Rights Commission has condemned Kampala City Council Authority officials who shot dead one person and injured several others in an ugly Luzira eviction exercise.


By Mary Karugaba           
                
Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has condemned Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) officials who shot dead one person and injured several others in an ugly Luzira eviction exercise on Sunday.

UHRC chairman Med Kaggwa said after the commission was concerned with the apparent lack of respect for human life exhibited by the KCCA officials.

“The television footage and the newspaper pictures clearly exhibited the high-handed manner in which the KCCA officials were seen unleashing terror as they caned and fired live bullets at unarmed civilians. KCCA officials ought to have known that they were dealing with unarmed civilians and that use of live bullets was absolutely unnecessary and heartless,” Kaggwa said.

Kaggwa told Journalists at the Commission offices on Wednesday that after the incident, the commission carried out an independent investigation and established that the eviction was carried out without consulting the local authorities and some of the residents were never notified.

 Kaggwa said sources at Jinja Road Police told the Commission that they also learnt of the eviction a few minutes before it was carried on, and that when they inquired whether the officials needed Police back up, they said no.

Kaggwa, said the exercise had exhibited a wanton abuse of human rights and had raised serious questions about the manner in which KCCA carries out its work.

 

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