Court orders investigation into Kirinya Prison deaths

By John Semakula

GOVERNMENT has been ordered to investigate the death of two inmates at Kirinya Prison Maximum Prison in Jinja dating back to 2009.

High Court Judge, Justice Yasin Nyanzi on June 5, wrote to Gen. Aronda Nyakairima the Minister of Internal Affairs ordering him to appoint a coroner to investigate the deaths of Abdul Karim and Felix Aroronga.

The two former inmates died in custody in October 2009.

Last year after serving a jail term at Kirinya Prison, Yahaya Lukwago a former inmate took government to court over the deaths of his two colleagues.

Lukwago said in the affidavit he swore that he saw prison warders batter the two inmates to death.

“On August 7, 2009 while prison warders were beating us with batons, Karim started bleeding profusely through the mouth and nose. Moments later he fell and died,” he said.

Lukwago added that Aroronga was also beaten to death the following night for escaping from Arua Prison where James Aiso was the in-charge before he was transferred to Kirinya Prison.

But in his affidavit Aiso denied that the inmates were killed by warders. He said that the two died of natural causes after being admitted at the prison’s sickbay. He presented two post mortem reports as proof.

The post mortem reports signed by Dr. Wakabi however indicated that natural death was not conclusive proof of the two inmates’ death.

After studying the evidence, Justice Nyanzi ruled that fresh investigation into the death should be carried out by a coroner appointed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The judge noted that the fresh investigations he had ordered will act as a precaution to prevent any further deaths in prisons and erase suspicion.

Ladislaus Rwakafuzi the human rights lawyer representing Lukwago and the deceased inmates said he was ready to work with the coroner to investigate the deaths.

Rwakafuzi said that inmates should never be killed in jail.

A coroner is a person appointed by government to inquire into the deaths deemed unnatural and can be a magistrate.

The spokesperson of Ministry of Internal Affairs, Pamela Ankunda told the media that the minister received the order and that he will take appropriate action.

Rwakafuzi said that he acted in public interest to file the suit because he believed that people in prisons must be treated with dignity.

But he said that under normal circumstances after the court order was issued, the Minister of Internal Affairs should have contacted him for help but this was not done.