-RE: Torture of Samson Mande's SUSPECTED associates in Uganda prisons and The inconceivable existence of the safe houses in Uganda
04.April,2007
Human Rights Watch
Amnesity international
East African Amnesity International Team
- The interrogations in all detention centres comprised the same questions
- Inhuman conditions in the Ugandan prisons
- Innocent people in Ugandan prisons denied bail with no justice
- Other Prisoners
- Women prisoners in the CPS
- Healthcare
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English & Deutsh:
Regina Kiwanuka* - Ugandan Human Rights Activists, Member of the International Delegation
http://www.thevoiceforum.org/node/469
Regina Kiwanuka Threatened with Deportation to Uganda
http://thecaravan.org/node/1243
Regina Kiwanuka droht Abschiebung nach Uganda
http://thecaravan.org/node/1235
Regina Kiwanuka - Beobachtungen und Kommentare: Oury-Jalloh-Prozess
http://www.thevoiceforum.org/node/474
Proteste vor den Wahlen in Uganda
10.02.2006
http://stoffwechsel.radio-z.net/component/option,com_jimtawl/task,show_feature/cat,85/id,2686
Regina Kiwanuka droht Abschiebung
http://www.umbruch-bildarchiv.de/video/deportation/010607kiwanuka.html
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RE: Torture of Samson Mande's SUSPECTED associates in Uganda prisons and The inconceivable existence of the safe houses in Uganda
I am Mr. Murani Zimura I come from Uganda, and I have lived in Germany for three years. I am a Ugandan politician I escaped the Ugandan atrocities and fled here to Germany in 2003. My asylum process was accepted in 2006. I travelled to Kigali in Rwanda to visit with my freind Mr. David Gusongoirye a Ugandan journalist who works with the Daily Times in Kigali and also to explore a possibility of meeting my children in Rwanda.
I left Germany on 5 December 2006 and arrived in Kigali Rwanda on 6 December 2006. I stayed in Kigali with my friend David Gusongoirye for three weeks, and during this time I was in contact with my other friend Joseph Otimu in Uganda who once lived here in Nurenberg as an asylum seeker. He arrived in Germany around 2003 and applied for political asylum in Zirndorf. He was later transferred to the Schweinauer asylum camp for men here in Nurenberg. In 2005 he left Germany and went back to Uganda.
I thought that Otim was the best person to help me meet with my children so i made contact with him and persuaded him to come over to Kigali to discuss the plan.
On 26 January 2007 Otimu came to visit me in Kigali, at around 18hrs we met in a suburb called Nyamilambo in Kigali. Unknown to me, he had already collaborated with the Ugandan intelligence for my arrest. He arrived in a white Jeep with three other men who were wearing ordinary clothes. I was very happy to see him and I entered the car to travel somewhere in Kigali to sit and relax.
When I entered the car I found a driver and three men in masks sitting in the back seat. I was immediately grabbed by two men and the third one sprayed gas into my nose and mouth. I lost senses immediately I woke up when I was already in a safe house in Uganda. I found myself in a small room of about 7 by 7 sq. feet with three other men around me. At first I didn’t know what was happening to me until one man informed me that I was in Uganda and it was the 27 December 2006. I was very shocked and feared for my life, it took me a while to return to my senses. The room had no windows except for two ventilators near the roof, so I could not see outside. They fed me with maize meal and beans with water to drink. I was left there alone.
On the 28 December 2006 i was blind folded and taken to a different room for torture and interogation. They asked me about my activities with Col. Samson Mande the alleged leader of the Peoples Redemption Army(PRA) who resides in Sweden, why i and one Regina Kiwanuka arranged his trips to Germany a number of times conducting subversive meetings aimed at overthrowing the government of Uganda and what were our concrete plans for overthrowing the regime. I denied all allegations and for many days I was taken through the same questions by different men without uniforms over and over again. I did not get the names of these men in the secret places and i was always blindfolded whenever they took me there.
On 3 January 2007 I was blindfolded and taken to the Central Police Station (CPS) in Kampala. The car was driven by one Ntakimanya as I heard others call him a number of times. Here in the CPS I met with the leader of the Regional Police Commander Special Branch Office (RPCSBO) called Muginya and many other soldiers including Ojingo Michael Benedict assistant RPCSBO. Muginya who was in room 83 and Ojingo in another room not far from him are soldiers well known for brutalizing innocent people over the People’s Redemption Army (PRA) allegations.
In Muginya’s office I was again interrogated for an hour over Col. Samson Mande’s activities and that of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) branch in Germany and particularly what I am doing in Germany.
This time I noted they had gathered accurate information of all the time and places where we held meetings with Col Samson Mande. That made me believe they had an informer close to us.
I was then taken to the Regional Police Commander (RPC) Grace Turyagumanawe still in the CPS who again interrogated me over Col. Mande and his activities; where is the PRA based, how many soldieirs has the PRA, what type of weapons had PRA acquired, who is commanding what units and where, who finances the rebellion, when does the PRA intend to invade, what connection is there between the PRA and FDC were the most frequent questions in the interogation by the police and military intelligence. After Turyagumanawe, I was taken by officer Byamukama to a general office which sits about five intelligence officers and this office is open 24hrs a day, I was again interrogated for two hours each officer demanding answers at the same time especially officer Benedict Ojingo who was demanding to know why I had many contact numbers in my phone book then I was forced write out a statement over my activities and when, how and why I went to Germany.
During these interrogations Muginya budged into the room and started shouting at me that I should quit playing games with them and start telling them what they wanted to hear. He ordered that I should be detained by force and that I must reveal all what is happening in Germany, Sweden, in the FDC and in Rwanda concerning the PRA. I continued to deny all accusations and at this point I became stronger because I knew that no matter what I do or say I was already in grave danger and that nothing would save me. I knew I was either going to be killed or detained indefinitely like the controversial case of the 22 PRA suspects whether I said anything or not.
At this point I realised that whether you support the opposition or not as long as you are Samson Mande’s associate or just suspected to be, there is no chance of being released. I remembered the warning in Bukedde news paper on 5 May 2006 which the spokesman of the Uganda Army had issued to all of us who associate with Samson Mande that we are considered rebels and knew i was as good as dead meat. Muginya and Turyagumanawe both read Regina Kiwanuka’s name and they said that I and her are the agents of PRA in Germany who should be severely punished. Then Byamukama inquired of his boss Muginya in which detention category do I belong?
A few days later I fell sick and my family requested temporary release for me to seek medical attention then Byamukama summoned me to his office and informed me that it is against the regulations to let me out of the prison, and that it is just the conditions of the prison that have made me sick.
He asked of the people that know me from my village and I named one Chancellor LC3 Mr. Charles Kituuka who lives in the Nabunya zone, Byamukama asked for more people and I named also Mr. Michael Kato chairman Nabunya zone both of these men were approached and they confirmed all my activities before I fled the country in 2003, they explained that they knew me since childhood and also stressed that I was never a rebel as alleged. Mr. Kituuka tried to visit me in prison and the officers lied to him that I was already released when in fact I was still inside.
They investigated over my background approaching as many people in Rubaga including my sister in law Fazia Sherry who also confirmed that I was not a rebel. At that time I received message from M/s Regina Kiwanuka in Germany that she was to inform the United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees (UNHCR). I stopped her from alerting any association as I knew that if the UN intervened these men might kill me in prison considering the plight of the 22 suspected prisoners still inside. I told her we had to use other channels to secure my release without informing the public.
She then suggested informing my lawyers both in Uganda and in Germany which I again discouraged as the officers were getting sour each day and I couldn’t afford involving more people than those who were already acquainted with the case. Many prisoners inside showed me and illustrated methods of torture which included “akandooya” tying a prisoner by the hands hanging from the roof like piece of meat and beating the life out of him with thick heavy battons.
Katongole came in unable to walk unaided and displayed his wounds and a broken arm he said he was beaten with “KIBOOKO” (an enourmous wooden gadget) to the point of breaking his bones. He said others were bitten by scorpions and were paralysed from the poisonous insects in a bid to make them consent to false accusations. After the bite of the insect the body is paralysed for days and stays in shock the pain and the toture turns a person into a zombie like status to the point of loosing one’s mind, the thought of another bite from such an insect will compell a person into consenting to falsified accusations. Another said he was tied hands back so tightly his chest almost bursted. They have manifested such similar methods of torture that leave no mark on the prisoner to cover the physical evidence.
I was removed to different safe house prisons for the same interrogations, on 24 January 2007 I was taken to Kololo safe house prison in Kampala which is Joint Anti Terrorism (JAT) unit, I was viciously manhandled when dragged from the CPS, it was a shocking event as two officers Kahuru and Muhairwe grabbed me and so aggressively handcuffed me. These officers were very happy and proclaimed that they have finally captured the real suspect from Germany. We met a woman called Samari outside the CPS who lived in the same village as me; she was shocked when she saw me in that condition being handled as a gangster. She asked me what the matter was and I could only communicate to her with a sign language by shaking my head that today I stand no chance. The men drove me in a gray Toyota Corona threatening me all along that up to this time I have proved very stubborn but today I must spill all the beans. “You are joking with us you think we are here to play games” they said.
I was inconceivably harassed and in the safe house they inquired a lot about Madam Regina Kiwanuka’s activities in Germany. That what exactly is Regina Kiwanuka’s role in Germany we hear that she is arranging to take over the government using her fathers Democratic Party (DP) and Col. Samson Mande’s troops in the PRA.
They put me in a waiting room and made me wait for long periods, and then many police officers interrogated me over the same details of the same people Col. Samson Mande and Madam Regina Kiwanuka. Here I saw different kinds of people wearing ordinary clothes mingling with soldiers in uniforms. I was astounded to see men who looked like beggars from the streets, like conductors of the taxi vehicles in Kampala, men dressed in rags as those who hang out on the verandas idle in the middle of the city except that all these men were holding pistols. These men are very hard to imagine as intelligence officers. I saw Buulu who I knew before in my home village I was shocked to see him and when I asked him what he was doing here he said he will be back and he quickly disappeared through the door.
I was greatly shocked by the sight of this place and the guise of all these people and when they inserted a live electric wire into the switch socket, I knew today I was finished because I thought that the wire was for my electrocution for the massive interrogation since I had refused to coorporate. Here I met with the JAT leader though I did not get his name he personally asked me of Col. Samson Mande the relationship we have with him and what kind of people are members of the FDC in Germany then he ordered the directive for my detention under the JAT unit. He said that even if I refuse to coorporate they already know the people anyway.
I couldn’t touch the food that was brought to me the fear insitigated in me was too severe.
They shouted that we don’t have chips which you are accustomed to in Europe, it was rice and beans but I was afraid to touch it in fear of being poisoned until one man encouraged me he talked to me and convinced me that I have to take the situation in my stride and try and eat something. He practically begged me and I eventually ate the food. I was returned to the CPS that same day.
When I was returned to the CPS the other prisoners were all shocked to see me back they were all sure that my life had ended there, they said that the officers who dragged me out were deadly when they touch a prisoner they never survive death. The prisoners never return and they are untraceable.
On 25 Januanry 2007 Muhairwe took me upstairs again in the Special Branch room and took another statement from me he said he was to adress the JAT. He wanted to know how I travelled from Germany I said by Kenya Airways, my adress in Germany I told him the Schloss Street, what I do in Germany I said I work with a company named XXL and how long have I known Col. Samaon Mande and what kind of people do we associate with in Germany? Again I explained that we meet with a lot of people from all walks.
The interrogations in all detention centres comprised the same questions:-
Question (Q): Do you know Col. Samson Mande?
Answer (A): Yes I know him.
Q: Did you know him before you went to Germany?
A: Yes i did we lived in the same village.
Q: Were you a military police officer?
A: No I have never been a military police officer.
Q: What do you do in Germany exactly?
A: I live now in Germany and work there.
Q: What is your role in Germany regarding Ugandan politics?
A: I mobilise people for the FDC.
Q: Why do you have many telephone numbers in your phonebook?
A: They are my contact numbers.
Q: Why do you have Reagan Okumu’s telephone number?
A: We used it for just information concerning the FDC.
Q: Why do you have the Amnesity International telephone number?
A: When we need assistance with the Human Rights regulations we work with them.
Q: Do you know a person called Regina Kiwanuka?
A: Yes I know her.
Q: What does she do in Germany?
A: She writes her books and does her political work.
Q: What are her plans now?
A: She is a DP member who supports the FDC to change the regime in Uganda she also plans to run for the Bukomansimbi legislature.
Q: Why did you travel to Rwanda and not other countries like Kenya?
A: Because I have a friend in Rwanda David Gusongoirye.
Q. Are you sure it was not Samson Mande that sent you to meet with PRA in Rwanda?
A. No that was not the case i went there for my children´s sake.
Q. Who are the FDC members in Germany?
A: We meet with people regularly to get together but i dont know who the members are.
Q: Who did you vote for in the 2001 Presidential Elections?
A: I voted for Dr. Kiiza Besigye.
I could not deny I voted for Dr. Kiiza Besigye since they knew it before and it is the reason i was molested for after the 2001 elections. My political role with the FDC in Germany or my involvment with Col. Samson Mande way back in Uganda was also known to the government. I only was cautious not to mention anyone’s name hence endangering people’s lives or have them go through what I was going through.
At the CPS Kampala I met many other prisoners who have been imprisoned for many months and years without bail or hearing.
When I was brought at the CPS for the first time I was the 25 th prisoner on 3 January 2007, but by the time I escaped on the 4February2007 there were 500 prisoners altogether arrested and passed through the CPS alone. In that one month.
I was again and again interrogated over my activities in Germany and my relationship with Col. Samson Mande. I also explained as many times possible that we meet a lot of different people in Germany.
Q: What do you all do in Germany you want to topple the Ugandan government?
A: No we are fighting for human rights and the free and fair elections in Uganda.
Q: Don’t you know that Col. Samson Mande is a wanted rebel in Uganda and Anyone who associates with him is a suspected rebel who wants to topple the government?
A: No we only know him as a human rights activist who happens to have political differences with the president of Uganda.
All the time Regina kiwanuka’s name came up they wanted to know what Regina does in Germany exactly and whether I worked with her against the Ugandan government. Muginya informed me too that they are already aware that Regina Kiwanuka was to be deported in 2006, but now they know that she is an accepted refugee by the Germany government. I was shocked by the extent in which the name Regina Kiwanuka was well known here as it was repeated numerous times. Even when my girl friend Irene Damba made attempts to secure my release she was also asked about Regina Kiwanuka.
They said the two of us and many other Ugandans in Germany deal with Col. Samson Mande and that when he visits Germany we treat him as the King of the Castle and in great luxuries when we know that this is the number one wanted man for treason in Uganda.
Even Irene Damba feared for her life at one time when the officers started suspecting her as one of us who collaborate with Col. Mande.
On Tuesday 30 January 2007 one member of the redcross Mr. Michael Meyers met me in the CPS Kampala when he had come to visit prisoners. I quickly wrote down my name and adress where I live in Nuremberg on a small piece of paper and secretly handed it to him. His E-mail and contact in Kampala is:-
ICRC Kampala Delegation
Plot 8 Johnson Babiiha Avenue,
P.O.Box 4442, kampala, Uganda
Tel: (+256) 041 341605/6
E-mail: kampala.kam@icrc.org
He can confirm my difficult situation and my imprisonment in the CPS Kampala. I could not speak with him in the prison as there were many spies around me in prison. Considering what Joseph Otimu did to me in Rwanda.
The prisoners have already given up on this Red Cross representative, he visits them regularly but nothing is processed by his organisation. During my excitement on seeing him appearing on 30January2007 all prisoners got cold with disappointment and informed me that he is only here to show face nothing will ever come out of his reports. “We have interacted with him regularly and he keeps coming back empty handed” they said.
The Special Branch had already added me to the other 22 PRA imprisoned suspects that I am a rebel too. For one month I was taken from one so called safehouse (torture chamber) prison to another. Officer Muginya had already informed me that I was to be taken back to the Violent Crime Crack Unit (VCCU). Muginya is notorious he wanted me dead by all means, he handled my case personally and was completely fixed on seeing me rot in jail
My relatives and friends helped me a great deal in securing my freedom and through different contacts they managed to convince some officers that if I am to be detained any longer I will not survive torture or even death. I was lucky before I was delivered to the VCCU the officers helped me to escape. These soldiers escorted me to the border of Uganda and Rwanda and made sure that I crossed. They took me through the process of securing a Rwanda visa and the safe crossing of the Rwanda - Uganda boarder in Gatuna. Mr. David Gusongoirye my friend in Kigali together with my girlfriend Irene Damba helped me in the process of getting a ticket and travel back to Germany.
I did not inform any of the FDC members of my predicament in prison as I didn’t want to attract any more attention over my political affiliations, if word went out the FDC supporters would have alerted the people and the media as it was an unlawful detention. We even engaged another lawyer who kept the situation at bay and did all his best to secure my release. He submitted a habeas corpus to the high court as the 48hrs were not respected by the authorities and then he dropped the idea for the court hearing after learning of the plan that the soldiers were to grab me back once I am granted bail or released by the court.
Even when my lawyer in Uganda Mr. Lukwago appeared in the CPS to secure freedom for the late Andrew Kayiira’s demonstrators I refrained from attracting his attention as word would have spread like fire Mr. Lukwago being a strong popular lawyer it would have proved difficult not to land the case into the government’s hands in their favour to prove that the rebels are indeed captured from Rwanda even if its not the case.
The soldiers who assisted me to escape made me swear never to mention their identity to anybody for their security they said they know that the Ugandan government is torturing innocent people, but its dangerous for them to help the prisoners. They said it was possible for me because I hold a United Nations passport so I could leave Africa immediately with no possibilities of being kidnapped again therefore I carried no risk of exposing them. They confirmed that many soldiers in various ranks are not in agreement with the government’s nature of handling matters but they hold no voice and have no ways of getting out of the country.
I was lucky because I hold a UN passport and I left immediately but many other prisoners have no chance: Nicholas Ennaful from Ghana, Dido Manyiwoha 36 and David Mwesigye 27 both from Congo, Katongole Robert 24 and Kalangwa Emmy 38 both from Uganda. Kanana Mwesige from Tanzania has been in Luzira maximum prison for seven years, I left him in the CPS Kampala and many more prisoners who have been denied bail or court hearing. In spite of the fact that many relatives have travelled to Uganda from Tanzania, Rwanda and Congo in an effort to secure their people’s release to no avail.
Up to now I don’t know why Joseph Otimu gave me away when he knew that my life was in grave danger to the point of almost getting killed. And by this time I realised that he had changed his names to Kalidi Lunuma he no longer calls himself Joseph Otimu.
I know now that all those who have associated with Col. Samson Mande at one point or another are in government records as subversive elements and terrorists who will be charged with treason and terrorism and will not escape death once the government of Uganda lands on them.
According to what I witnessed the Ugandan government is determined to use all those who come in contact with him to the point of being deadly and accepting no argument over the issue concerning Col. Mande’s interaction. The Ugandan government is also determined to stigmatise and isolate Col. Samson Mande through torturing and intimidating innocent civillians who associate with him.
Inhuman conditions in the Ugandan prisons
The shocking conditions inside the Ugandan prisons will forever stay on my mind; the small jerrycans that the prisoners use to wash in the toilet are the same jerrycans they use for their drinking water. Prisoners sleep on the hard cemented floor without a single bedsheet to disguise the conditions of the hard cold floor or to use as covers, then they wake up very early in the morning to dry up the paddles of water that always accumulate overnight.
We use empty tins as toilets and this leaves an offensive smell in the prison rooms during the night and the place is infested with coacroaches which swam over the food dishes and crawl all over the prisoners in their sleep at night.
Furthermore, I was astounded to see young boys of fifteen to sixteen years old also imprisoned with a bunch of grown men in the CPS.
Unknown to the outside world is that the Central Police Station (CPS) in the centre of the capital city Kampala, a supposedly known police prencict that comprises police cells is also a safehouse.
In here there is a CPS prison and a safe house known as the REGIONAL BLOCK, this block comprises:-
Joint Anti Terrorism (JAT) prisoners
Voice Crime Crack Unit (VCCU) prisoners
Chieftancy Military Intelligence (CMI) prisoners
Special Branch (SP) prisoners
I was in the regional block under the special branch.
All these special prisoners are only answerable to the Regional Police Commander (RPC) Grace Turyagumanawe who has the power to detain or release them. Every early morning after the routine of drying the water paddles in the precinct, all prisoners are paraded for roll call, however the prisoners in the REGIONAL BLOCK are not touched, only those termed as the CPS prisoners are called upon and it’s their book that appears each morning.
They are three different parades in the Kampala CPS the morning and evening parades we are all paraded including the regional block for the change of guards, however the third roll call when prisoners are taken to court or transported to other places, we in the regional block do not come out at all.
The regional block prisoners have no restricted time frame we could be called upon any time of day and night even at 3 o’clock in the night prisoners may be transported to other units for interrogations or any such unlawful activities engaged in by the officers.
The prisoners in the safehouse are detained for many months without visitors, no chance of bail or court hearing. When these prisoners apply for a court hearing, a pardon or a bail opportunity, they are informed by the Officer in charge (O C) Mr. Hassan Musoke that it’s not in their hands that theirs is another department. The police officers confere with the prisoners that they also don’t want to see them in such conditions however their hands are also tied the directive is from above.
I saw prisoners who were on their hands and knees on a daily basis begging the Central Intelligence Department (CID) officers to process their files and realise their freedom only to be tormented by the CID officers who collaborate with the OC CID Ahmed Mutwiini the overall boss to push the prisoners’ files back and to unlawfully keep them behind these shocking bars. 24hrs pass by then weeks which turn into months and then years without any concern for the prisoners. People with minor offences of cell phone theft, domestic misunderstandings and much more are all detained for longer periods for these officers to milk them for cash. Their money is embezzled by the officers; their relatives pay huge sums of money to no avail.
The O.C. tries and visits the prisoners in the cells and inquires of their complaints, only to inform them afterwards that he also holds no power at all.
The excitement on the prisoners’ faces when the Deputy Police Commander (DPC) Twasibe Ivan visits the cells and orders release for most prisoners is heartbreaking for the minute the DPC leaves the premises the prisoners are returned to the cells and detained with force.
I was shocked again one day when we were being paraded one prisoner accidentally touched an open switch box and was immediately electrified he fell on the floor and started foaming from the mouth and the nose, his hand still attached to the switch box. Until another prisoner pulled him away from the switch holding on to the trousers of the injured, it was twenty minutes later that the officers arrived to remove the injured man. We never heard from him again whether he survived it or not.
On 22 January 2007, we went on a hunger strike untill our demands were met we rejected the food for one day. The officers came to look into the matters in the evening in order to appease the prisoners to eat their food, they promised to produce GraceTuryagumanawe who was our sole demand. The prisoners ate the food but Turyagumanawe never appeared.
A week later on 29 January 2007 I organised another hunger strike and once again all prisoners rejected the food. Muginya furiously summoned me to his office and again informed me that he had prepared to remove me to the VCCU in Kireka because I was in charge of the hunger strike. He demanded to know of my intentions and the meaning of all this hunger strike nonsense. Muginya was determined that I get added to the other 22 suspected PRA prisoners who have been detained in Uganda safe houses for more than four years.
Although I was not removed to Kireka this time the DPC came over and released many prisoners with minor offences.
Innocent people in Ugandan prisons denied bail with no justice.
(1.) Katongole Robert 24 has been detained for two months and has not appeared in the court of law, he was arrested in December 2006 after a resident in his village Musozi-Mubende was shot dead. The Chieftancy Military Intelligence (CMI) arrested young men at random and charged them for the murder of the resident.
Four people were arrested but ever since the arrest they are only three people in detention the third has since disappeared, Katongole says they don’t know what happened to their fellow resident, they have neither seen nor heard from him.
Katongole was first taken to Kololo safe house where he was beaten and tortured to extract false information regarding weapons out of him. He has a broken arm resulting from the beatings and has been denied medical attention except for a pain killer now and then to release his pain a bit. He has since been transferred to Central Police Station (CPS) where I left him.
Katongole denies any knowledge regarding weapons he says he was straight from senior six and was all along in school he has never encountered people in connection with weapons or any such arms. However, his efforts to inquire of the procedure and the developments regarding his detention are blocked by iquivocal responses from his file being with one officer or the other then lost, then with the DPP or that he has no file at all to having no case whatsover.
Katongole requests the human rights organisations to intervene and force the Ugandan government to respect the rule of law and bring the people to justice not random imprisonment.
(2.) Kanana Mwesige is a Tanzanian he was arrested in Uganda seven years ago where he has lived since 1986, and has spent those seven years in Luzira maximum prison. He says the situation in Ugandan prisons is unbearable the hygiene is not exercised and there is no medical attention for the prisoners, he has never been in the court of law and has not been charged for any offence.
(3.) Christian Lukwago a Ugandan was arrested with two Congolese brothers David Mwesigye 27 and Dido Manyiwoha 36 in October 2006 in Rwanda, they were kept in Kaseese barracks for eleven days then they were taken first of all to the CMI for interrogations and charges of facilitating crime, recruiting and supporting rebels. They were then presented to Rugumayo who was to handle their case and he ordered for their transfer to Bombo barracks instead they were moved from one place to another till they were removed to the Kampala Central Police Station (CPS), they were brought in by three officers; Lt. Aneste, Lt. Col. Katusabe and Captain Paul Muwanga from the CMI. These prisoners have persistently denied all accusations and demanded justice to no avail,
Dido says they were tortured and beaten up for information regarding Col. Samson Mande and Col. Kyakabaale who reside in Sweden. All three men denied any knowledge regarding both Colonels rather the Chieftancy Military Intelligence (CMI) demanded money from them, they confiscicated money found on their bodies and demanded for more. The CMI demands money from the prisoners.
The two brothers were arrested on their way back to Congo after visiting with their uncle in Rwanda, on crossing the border to Congo they were arrested and charged with having connection with the rebels in Rwanda, Congo and Uganda, together with Christian Lukwago.
Since 11/October/2006 they have never been presented to the court of law and are still in the cells in CPS. The men have written to various organisations a number of times demanding justice and attention to no avail.
They have been denied medical attention, visitors, family and relatives from Congo were chased away and denied access to meet with the two brothers. Dido sent his wife to the Human Rights Watch but he says that the Ugandan government is so powerful and does not respect any rule of law and order. He continues that the Ugandan government completely ignores the 48 hour period during which a person must either be charged or set free.
He said his health is deteriorating and given the lack of security in these prisons he knows he will end up dead. His wife was denied visitation with him and the CMI is demanding a lot of money for his release.
(4.) Kalangwa Emmanuel (Emmy) a 38 year old man from kiboga Masaja near Namasuba in Uganda has been detained for five months at the Central Police Station (CPS). He was charged with theft of Shs80, 000,000 (eighty million) in February2004 and was remanded in Luzira maximum prison for two years. At the end of his sentence in February2006 he was released to work for the civil service. He was re- arrested by the Central Intelligence Department (CID) on 12October2006 and taken to the (CPS) in Kampala where he is still detained up to today. He claims that his is a civil case which demands justice and him to pay for the damages, with a six month sentence, however instead of a court hearing he was delivered to the CPS.
In October 2006 his lawyer processed a court warranty for him to appear in court but the Uganda Police rejected it. He has written to various departments soliciting assistance to no avail. He has also written to Officer Wamanya who is handling his case, his wife approached Wamanya at the CID headquarters Wamanya informed Kalangwa’s wife that he must pay a sum of Shs 5,000,000 (five million). He also told her that it is Justus Karuhanga who used his influence to re-arrest Kalangwa. Justus Karuhanga works and lives in the state house in the President’s official residence, Karuhanga now demands a land title from Kalangwa.
Kalangwa says he has already served his sentence in Luzira and he has been tortured and detained in the Kololo safe house, now he is serving again in the CPS he says that the CID is aware that he should be released but continue to detain him unlawfully. He demands an appeal against his sentence and conviction.
(5.) Nicholas Ennaful from Ghana was first arrested on 9 December 2006 and put in jail to cover an offence committed by the arresting officer he was charged for treason and forgery to portray him as a dangerous man though he is innocent.
All charges lacked evidence and basis and up to now he has not appeared in the court of law even though there has been ample time to investigate and prefer the necessary charges.
What has been done was to force him to surrender his ATM bank card and again forced to reveal the pin number to the arresting officer on 18 December 2006 claiming investigation. What kind of investigation requires such private information from a person to a police officer?
Mr. Ennaful had Ugsh 2,000,000 in his account with Stanbic Bank and while in custody between 18 December 2006 and 2 January 2007 he managed to have access to his account and found that he had Ugsh 23,000 left in his account. When he complained to DPC at the CPS on 3 January 2007 the DPC summoned the arresting officer and adressed the complaints.
The arresting officer took Ennaful from the CPS cells and transferred him to Wandegeya police station where he registered Ennaful under different names on 8 January 2007, Ennaful complained to the OC CID Wandegeya police station and he was removed back to the CPS on the same day. On the way to CPS the arresting officer tried to convince Ennaful that he would release him only after Ennaful has called his friends to pack his belongings for him so that after the court hearing the arresting officer would pick Ennaful and drive him to the Kenyan border and that he will pay his visa fees for him plus his ticket to escape the country.
He warned him that he should never return to Uganda lest the boss of the arresting officer sees Ennaful and charge him with terrorism. Although Ennaful obliged and used the officers’ cell phone to call his people to convey the message he sensed danger for his life and complained to the OC CID and informed him of all what was being planned by the arresting officer. The OC CID warned the arresting officer and ordered him to surrender Ennaful’s case and never to touch his file again.
Upon surrendering the case the arresting officer handed Ennaful his ATM Bank card, cell phone, his photo album and cash of Ugsh.50, 000 and told Ennaful that it was all he had for him. Ennaful wondered where the officer obtained such an amount from and the fact that Ennaful never gave the officer money to keep for him puzzled him.
Ennaful was reffered to Interpol which can only be interpreted as a cover- up for there are still no charges preferred against him. Ennaful is illegally imprisoned by the time of his arrest he was legally in the country as all his travel documents were in order he had his visa and a valid Passport. His only crime was to have money on his account and that he was a foreigner so they satisfied their selfish ego by exhausting his account and intimidating him so he keeps mum over the whole incident.
Ennaful was mysteriously removed from the CPS to the Kololo safe house, I recently spoke to one officer at the CPS who confirmed his removal from the CPS and he confirmed that he was simply removed with no explanation and without protocol. There is no attorney on his behalf and attempts to locate him through the Red Cross have failed.
Before he was abruptly removed he had informed the Regional Police Commander (RPC) regarding his predicament the RPC referred him to the Regional CID , by this time his plight had been deployed in almost all departments of the army and police structures as many officers had participated in sharing Ennaful’s money. To anble them extort evidence the officers collaborated among themselves and removed Ennaful to an un-known destination.
Ennaful had told me how he had acquired a naturalised Korean citizenship that he is no longer a Ghanian, he is married to a Korean woman and together they have a child. He also said that he cannot believe the treament towards foreigners in this country its inconceivable what he has gone through because he had money on his account.
Other Prisoners:-
1.) Serwanga Abudu
2.) Basajja Nakusegane
3.) Kaggwa Numuran,
4.) Selwanga Budara
Were arrested in Luwero on 20 October 2006 accused of having killed a person, they were taken to the CPS and I met them there on 25 January 2007. When I was still there they were removed to an unknown place and we never saw them again. One of them had a Doctor’s note and had just been discharged from the hospital when he was arrested nevertheless he was dragged on with the others.
Kiguli Bossa was falsely accused of theft and was taken to the Violent Crime Crack Unit (VCCU) for seventeen days where he was severely beaten up then was brought to the CPS with two other people the security guard from his working place and a nursing sister I left them in the CPS.
Women prisoners in the CPS
The women prisoners in the regional block at the CPS are barely seperated from the men. The toilet which serves as the bathroom is used by both women and men partitioned only by strings of wire mesh which leaves the women always exposed to the men. Men are always on the standby to steal glances at the women’s activities in the bathroom and the toilet. This puts the women in a difficult position and deprives them of their privacy therefore it is impossible for the women to take their bath or to properly use the toilet.
Healthcare
There is simply no medical attention in the regional block at CPS. When I came down with fever the doctor simply prescribed FANCIDA tablets for malaria which I refused to take and protested that my blood should be checked first for proper diagnosis. The doctor then referred me to Mulago hospital for further medical attention. The officers bluntly refused to bring me to the hospital. It was my family that attended to my sickness and delivered medicines for me. I was never allowed outside for any reason even to the point of death the officers were sworn to keep me intact until further instructions.
Prisoners with psychiatric problems are also dumped in the cells with us they are not seperated or referred to the proper psychiatric hospital.
After my escape from prison, I was kept in a secret place for about four days for my protection while awaiting the process of my exit documents to leave the country. One night the house was invaded by robbers who cut the electric wires. The guard hurried to the window and shouted to scare them off. The thieves run off abandoning their mission but for an instant I had imagined that it was the special branch who had tracked me down.
I would like to prevent what happened to me from happening to another person as I cannot wish it on another human being. It was a terrifying experience where I though that my life had come to an end. Even the people in Uganda who were acquainted with my predicament all believed that it was my end since the 22 PRA prisoners have never been released. It was a shock to everyone especially when people learned that my charges were connected to Col. Samson Mande, it became a deep traumatising and fateful experience. Escape was the only saviour for me.
I thank all the people who worked so hard and never tired to realize my freedom, and I plead with the UN, EU, AU, EAC, the Amnesity International (a.i.), the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the East African Amnesty Team and all other human rights organisations to intervene and save the lives of the innocent people in Uganda in the prisons in Uganda.
My lawyer who handled my case is in the process of suing the government of Uganda in the highest court of the world for kidnapping me from Kigali, the illegal detention, the torture I went through in the illegal detention chambers and the trauma I will live with for the rest of my life.
The psychological trauma imposed on me is beyond words it will take some time and therapy to appease my psychological intuition. Spending a great deal of time with tortured innocent prisoners who were sick with open un-attended wounds and broken limbs, the threats of live electric wires to be inserted in my body if I refuse to coorperate being inhumanly dragged and pushed from one chamber to another, the torture of the mind to what was in store in the next toturing chamber, the ruthless interrogations from bitter officers to the point of slapping me in the face is more than what one innocent person can contain.
My lawyer argues that he has sufficient evidence to sue the Ugandan government.
I will seek compensation and isolation of the Tyrant Regime.
Mr. Zimura Murani - Germany
E.Mail-molanzimula@yahoo.com