The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has today awarded a total of Shs 74m to victims of human rights violations that occurred within Teso Sub-region. The Commission kicked off its tribunal hearing sessions on Monday February 24th, 2025 with a series of decisions/judgements in matters that had already been heard.
The Sessions are being chaired by the Chairperson Hon. Mariam Wangadya and three members of the Commission; Hon. Crispin Kaheru, Hon. Col. RTD. Steven Basaliza and Hon. Lamex Omara Apitta.
Among the decisions was that of Phylis Chepkwemoi, a 42-year-old widow, resident of Kapsiywo in Bukwo district who complained to the Commission on behalf of her six children against Anti-Stock Unit Police and UPDF soldiers attached to Seredet detach, for the murder of her husband Gilbert Cherotwo.
The Commissioner learnt that on November 4th, 2004 at around 2:30 pm, 17 soldiers, armed with big sticks and guns, found Cherotwo working in a garden near his home and ordered him to sit down.
“They asked him for the gun and he denied possessing a gun. They started beating him while demanding that he produces the gun. They beat him up to 4:00pm and they took him to the detach,” Chepkwemoi told the Commission.
She said the next day she found her husband’s body at Bukwo Hospital mortuary.
“We are satisfied with the complainant’s evidence that UPDF soldiers of Seredet detach tortured and killed Cherotwo.
From the testimony of George Chepnoyen, Cherotwo had defaulted on payment of a debt.
His creditor maliciously and falsely reported him to the army that he illegally possessed a gun hence the ordeal which took his life.
We have no reason to doubt Chepkwemoi’s evidence; more so there was no other evidence to counter it – the respondent having failed to call any witnesses or file submissions in rebuttal thereof,” Hon. Crispin Kaheru who read the decision on behalf of the panel noted.
The Commission described Cherotwo’s last hours on earth as “unspeakable” and that the 17 soldiers who tortured him were “basically a lunch mob.”
“The order for him to produce a gun he knew absolutely nothing about was horrifying and a nightmare to him. The soldiers ought to have listened to Chepnoyen, the area LC1 Chairman who told them that he was sure Cherotwo had no gun in his possession. they chased him away and instead chose to act on a false and malicious report given to them by Cherotwo’s angry creditor. This is inexcusable,” the Commission ruled before awarding Shs60m as compensation for the violation of Cherotwo’s right to life.
The other two decision, where awards were made, were read by Hon. Apitta on behalf of the panel. Shs10m damages was awarded to 54year-old David Olobo of Kamuda Sub-county, Soroti district over violation of his freedom from Torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.
The Commission heard that on April 19th, 2013 two police officers went to his home to arrest him around 5:00 am. He refused to submit to the arrest insisting that he could only submit in the presence of his area Chairperson.
“The complainant in our view proved that two policemen of Kamuda Police Post inflicted on him severe pain and suffering by hitting his left arm with a gun batt thereby causing him to suffer a simple fracture. Hitting his arm with a gun butt and breaking it was totally unjustified. Such acts of impunity cannot be tolerated,” the Tribunal ruled.
Also Shs 4m was awarded to Ojur Lawrence then 38-year-old peasant of Osongai in Katakwi district. He was beaten by a UPDF soldier Identified as Opus who also stepped on his head. He was joined in the beating by two police Constables from Apapai Police Post.
He was being accused of defiling Opus’ niece Auma Agnes. The Tribunal found that instead of lodging his complaint against Opus, Ojur lodged it against Uganda Police whose contribution to his torture was minimal
The Tribunal set out to hear 18 complaints of human rights violation from Monday February 24th, 2025 to Thursday February 27th, 2025.
The UHRC has a mandate under article 52 and 53 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda to receive complaints of human rights violation, investigate, determine them and award damages or offer other remedies where it is satisfied that a violation indeed occurred.
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