CSOs condemn search on offices, demand Museveni's stand on age limit

Sep 21, 2017

HRN chief Ndifuna Muhammed asked legislators and the Police to remember the oath they swore to uphold the constitutional mandate, respect the right to freedom of assembly and right to privacy.

CSO leaders convene outside the the Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies to make their statement. (Credit: Betty Amamukirori)

POLICE | CSO RAIDS


Leaders of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have condemned police raid on two organisations and demanded that President Yoweri Museveni comes out clearly to state his position in regards to amending article 102 (b) of the Constitution.

Addressing a press conference at the Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies (GLiSS) offices, Ndifuna Muhammed, the executive director Human Rights Network, said the raids were an attack on the constitutional right to privacy and it is a cowardly attempt by Police to silence them in order to allow the move to ‘abrogate' the law on age limit.

"We demand that Museveni comes out clearly on his stand on age limit and also prevails over his officers who are acting with impunity. He and government actors should know that it is treasonous to try and overthrow the Constitution and it is punishable by law," he said.

He asked the legislators and the Police to remember the oath they swore to uphold the constitutional mandate, respect the right to freedom of assembly and right to privacy.

He also condemned the arrest of Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and activists who are against the amendment of article 102 (b).

Irene Ovonji, the CEO of FIDA-Uganda, urged Kadaga to uphold the parliamentary mandate and reject the piece meal dismantling of the Constitution.

Yesterday, the Police, according to eye witnesses, raided ActionAid-Uganda offices in Kansanga and GLiSS, a policy think tank organisation. It allegedly launched a search on the offices while holding hostage some of the employees.

By midday today, GLiSS offices were still condoned off by police, who were carrying out a search on allegations that the organization carries out suspicious financial transactions.

The organisation's executive director, Godber Tumushabe, was also being held hostage inside the office premises.

According to Job Kiija, the GLiSS head of democracy and rule of law, Tumushabe was not allowed to leave the premises since 5:00pm on Wednesday, when police started the search.

"When police came, those who were inside were not allowed to move out, while us who were out were not allowed in. They (Police) came with a search warrant from the Nakawa Chief Magistrate's Court for both the office and Tumushabe's residence in Najjera," he said.

He explained that the police flipped through their computers, documents, financial records, participant records on meeting attendance lists and bank transactions. The search is led by a cadet officer, Philip Acaye.

He said that the search was suspended at 3:00am and resumed at 10:00am.

"They wanted to take him to Kira Division, but he resisted and was allowed to sleep in his car," he said.

When New Vision visited ActionAid Uganda offices in Kasanga, the Police had left the area and the employees were locked up in a meeting.

An inside source, who witnessed the raid, said that the police went with documents but did not specify the document type.

To conduct the search at ActionAid, police obtained a warrant from Makindye magistrate's court and was signed by Juliet Nakitende, a Grade One magistrate.

Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana, the Executive Director Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) expressed disgust at the Police's actions, branding it a biased, cowardly and contemptuous move and an indicative of a state under decay.

He noted that police after failing to solve last year's break -ins at CSO offices and the Entebbe murders, are rushing to clamp down on their work.

"They should know that the people are supreme. A day of reckoning is coming and they will answer for their actions," he said.

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