By Our Reporter
The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has summoned the Commissioner General of Prisons Johnson Byabasaija and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo to explain the plight of the Rwenzururu kingdom royal guards who remain on remand over five years after their arrest.
Committee chairperson Fox Odoi (West Budama North East, NRM) made the directives to the clerk to write to the two senior officials following a presentation by Bukonzo West MP Godfrey Atkins Katusabe who demanded for immediate unconditional release of the 80 royal guards that remain incarcerated since November 2016.
Odoi said that the concerns about the health conditions of the people in prison needs to be given attention by the Committee hence a need for Byabasaija to explain how those who fall sick are handled.
Katusabe told the Committee that there is need for unconditional release of the 80 royal guards that remain under incarceration at Kirinya prison in Jinja because nine have so far died since the group was arrested together with the Omusinga (King) Charles Wesley Mumbere.
Katusabe told the Committee that the Rwenzururu community has waited for long for the trial of the Omusinga and his Royal Guards and wonder why the Government which slapped charges of treason, terrorism, murder and aggravated robbery among others cannot set them free after five years without trial.
He said that the relatives of the incarcerated people and the entire Rwenzururu Kingdom can’t “afford to continue losing our people” in prison adding that their patience has not paid off and if no action is taken by the authorities in Government, the area may never heal from the outcomes of the November 2016 clashes.
In response, Odoi said that Parliament needs to hear from the DPP to understand why the Omusinga and his co-accused persons cannot be tried on the top of his restricted movements and the continued stay on remand of those not out on bail.
He directed the clerk to; “write to the DPP asking why these people can’t be tried because you can’t fail to investigate in five years and keeping people there. You can take five years to do investigations”.
Katusabe’s appearance in the Committee follows a petition he made before Parliament on December 2 saying that the people of Kasese District especially the families of the people who perished in the clashes have suffered a lot and there was need for the Government intervention in handling their plight.
The presiding Speaker then, Anita Among sent the petition to the Committee on Human Rights to investigate the alleged violation of the rights of the people incarcerated in prison and report to the House.
Katusabe said that the Omusinga needs urgent help to travel out of the country for treatment of the different ailments that needed annual trips abroad when he was still sitting on his throne in the palace.
The legislator also wants Deputy Chief of Defense Forces Lt Gen Peter Elwelu stripped of the ranks he achieved after he commanded the raid on the palace and also be prosecuted for what he called crimes against humanity.
Busongora South MP Gideon Mujungu who also arrived at the meeting at its tail end commended the directives made by Odoi following Katusabe’s presentation.
