L-R: Mr Bob Kagarura, then-Wamala regional police commander and Mr Elly Womanya, then-commander of Special Investigations Unit. Photo/File
The United States of America has sanctioned four Uganda Police Force Officials over their alleged involvement in gross violations of human rights.
"The Department of State is taking action today to promote accountability for human rights violations committed in Uganda by designating four members of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) due to their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment," a Wednesday afternoon (October 2) statement from the US department reads in part.
The sanctioned officers are Bob Kagarura, the then-Wamala Regional Police Commander of the UPF; Alex Mwine, then-District Police Commander for the Mitanya District of the UPF; Elly Womanya, then-Senior Commissioner within the UPF and Deputy Director of the UPF’s Criminal Investigations Division in charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU); and Hamdani Twesigye, then-Deputy Inspector of Police assigned to SIU.
Kagarura, Mwine, Womanya, Twesigye and their immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States, according to the US department.
"The reports that Kagarura, Mwine, Twesigye, and Womanya were involved in gross violations of human rights, as documented by Ugandan civil court documents, civil society organizations, and independent journalists, are serious and credible. By publicly designating these individuals, the United States reaffirms its commitment to advancing the human rights of all Ugandans and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations," the statement adds in part.
The sanctions are derived from Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024.
Some of the officers designated have since retired from the force or transferred and appointed to new roles. The statement did not mention when the alleged human rights violations were committed.
NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi. PHOTO/ FILE
However, National Unity Platform (NUP) principal, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine said the sanctions are a reminder to all overzealous senior, mid-level and junior security officers that they will be held individually responsible for the crimes they commit against the citizens.
“Among other crimes, these four will be remembered for their role in the gross torture of Hon Francis Zaake, which was confirmed by the High Court. As always and despite the massive evidence against them, the regime shielded them and even promoted them! These sanctions are yet another reminder that the wheels of justice may come slowly, but they will eventually arrive. They're also a reminder to all overzealous senior, mid-level and junior security officers that they will be held individually responsible for the crimes they commit against the people of Uganda. We are very thankful to the Government of the United States for continuously listening to the pleas of the people of Uganda about those who violate rights with impunity and remain untouchable by the captured institutions in Uganda,” Mr Kyagulanyi posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
This round of sanctions adds to the growing list of Uganda government officials, including senior officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Uganda Prisons Service, who have been slapped with visa bans for alleged violation of human rights while others were placed under financial sanctions over economic crimes claims.
The list includes former Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura, Maj-Gen Abel Kanduho, former head of the Chieftaincy of Military Police, and Johnson Byabashaija, the current Commissioner-General of Uganda Prisons Service.
The UK and US in April and May this year designated the Speaker of Uganda Parliament Anita Among, as well as former and current Cabinet ministers on claims of engaging in serious corruption and violation of human rights, including stealing from vulnerable communities.
