The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has awarded a total of Shs74 million in compensation to victims of human rights violations in the Teso Sub-region. The rulings were delivered during the Commission’s tribunal hearings, chaired by UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya, which commenced this week.
The tribunal addressed several cases, including the tragic killing of Gilbert Cherotwo, a resident of Kapsiywo in Bukwo District. Phylis Chepkwemoi, Cherotwo’s 42-year-old widow, was awarded Shs60 million on behalf of her six children. Chepkwemoi had filed a complaint against the Anti-Stock Theft Unit police and UPDF soldiers attached to Seredet Detach, accusing them of torturing and killing her husband in 2004.
According to the Commission’s findings, on November 4, 2004, 17 armed soldiers confronted Cherotwo while he was working in his garden. The soldiers accused him of possessing an illegal firearm, a claim he denied. Despite his protests, the soldiers subjected him to hours of brutal beatings before taking him to a detach. The following day, Chepkwemoi discovered her husband’s body at Bukwo Hospital mortuary.
The tribunal described Cherotwo’s final hours as “unspeakable,” noting that the soldiers acted on a false and malicious report from a creditor to whom Cherotwo owed a debt. “The soldiers ought to have listened to the area LC1 Chairman, who confirmed that Cherotwo had no gun. Instead, they chose to act on a false report, leading to an inexcusable violation of his right to life,” the Commission stated in its judgment.
In another case, the tribunal awarded Shs10 million to David Olobo, a 54-year-old resident of Kamuda Sub-county in Soroti District, for violations of his freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. Olobo had been assaulted by two police officers in 2013 when they attempted to arrest him at his home. The officers fractured his arm with a gun butt after he insisted on waiting for his area Chairperson to witness the arrest.
“Hitting his arm with a gun butt and breaking it was totally unjustified. Such acts of impunity cannot be tolerated,” the tribunal ruled.
Additionally, Lawrence Ojur, a 38-year-old resident of Osongai in Katakwi District, was awarded Shs4 million for being beaten by a UPDF soldier and two police constables in 2013. Ojur had been accused of defiling the niece of the soldier, identified only as Opus. The tribunal noted that while Ojur had lodged his complaint against the Uganda Police, the primary perpetrator was the UPDF soldier.
The UHRC tribunal is set to hear 18 more complaints of human rights violations from February 24 to February 27, 2025. Chairperson Mariam Wangadya emphasized the Commission’s commitment to delivering justice for victims of human rights abuses and holding perpetrators accountable.
“These rulings send a clear message that human rights violations will not be tolerated in Uganda. We remain steadfast in our mission to protect and promote the rights of all citizens,” Wangadya stated.
The compensation awarded to the victims is expected to provide some measure of relief, though the emotional and psychological scars of the violations remain. The UHRC continues to call for greater accountability among security forces and stricter adherence to the rule of law to prevent such incidents in the future.
