By Gad Masereka
The democratic governance facility (DGF) has started investigating on how the Ugandan police have been violating Human Rights while arresting suspects.
In the report their report conducted by a committee, it shows how personalities have been denied their right to get a police bond on free basis as enshrined in the constitution. The report released last week shows how the Uganda police force has been forcing people to pay bribes in order to give them police bond, even when they have not written any statement.
The report says on 29th march 2019 Mugenyi Rashid was arrested by police at Kawoowa police station after being suspected of stealing Aida Namubiru’s hen. Police later found him innocent but when he asked to be given bond, they asked for money. But after spending thirteen days in jail one Samaritan (names withheld) helped him by paying for him Shs.45,000.
Also, on Wednesday 3rd April, it’s alleged that a police officer in the names of Oyala Oyekam asked for abribe of Shs.20,000 which was later delivered in two notes of ten thousand shillings. Musoke also complained that he gave a fifty note to a police officer at Kaboowa police station on the case of theft with reference number 194/29/03/2019.
Assistant Inspector General of Police and chief political commissar Asan Kasingye has advised the affected persons to keep reporting these cases and endeavor to follow then up to conclusion.
The Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) was initially established in July 2011 by eight Development Partners (DPs): Austria, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Union, as a five-year governance programme aimed at providing harmonized, coherent and well-coordinated support to state and non-state entities to strengthen democratization, protect human rights, improve access to justice and enhance accountability in Uganda. The Programme goal was to contribute to equitable growth, poverty eradication, rule of law and long term stability in Uganda.
The programme marked the first phase of DGF that ended in June 2016. A transitional period of 18 months, supported by the same DPs, was implemented from July 2016 to December 2017.
Currently the DGF is implementing its second 5-year phase (January 2018 – December 2022) with support from seven DPs: Austria, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the European Union, to build on the achievements of the first phase, address the continuing democratic deficits, and consolidate peace and stability in the country.
The vision statement for this phase is: “a Uganda where citizens are empowered to engage in democratic governance and the state upholds citizens’ rights”.
DGF’s work is aligned to the Uganda national priorities and commitments, such as the National Action Plan for Human Rights; National Development Plan II; the National Gender Policy; the Constitution of Uganda; and national commitments to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
DGF works in partnership with diverse state and non-state actors, to which it provides both financial and technical support to implement a programme that that focuses on:
-Strengthening democratic processes that respond to citizens’ rights, improving citizens’ inclusion and engagement in decision-making processes, strengthening rule of law and improve access to justice for all citizens and increasing protection and fulfillment of human rights and gender equality.
DGF’s approach to programming in this phase falls under three broad and interconnected spheres namely:
Democratic processes that build citizen-state relationships, citizen empowerment, engagement and accountability, protection of human rights and access to justice and gender equality.
