Uganda Prisons Services has denied having tortured the two opposition members of parliament Mohammed Ssegirinya (Kaqwempe North) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) inside their detention at Kigo prison.
Last week, the Kawempe North MP Ssegirinya shocked the nation when he showed to the court magistrate a rotting feet during a virtual court session. Ssegirinya was appearing before Buganda Road Grade one Court Magistrate on charges of inciting violence among others he committed in August last year.
The footages attracted debates from the public with many human rights defenders accusing security organs of continuous torture of suspects in prison.
However, the spokesperson of UPS Frank Baine has dismissed the accusations saying that they are baseless talks.
Baine has denied allegations of torture in detentions noting that the legislator was already sick at the time he was handed over to them.
“It has never been in our interest that we torture our family members. Yes, Hon. Ssegirinya is sick, and we are treating him for as long as he is with us, many times, we receive these inmates from court when they are already sick,” Baine said.
Baine maintained that as Prisons, they do not torture people.
“When someone has been tortured, we encourage them to tell us when they were tortured and by who. That’s how we can follow up,” Baine said.
In his recent nation address on security, president Museveni remarkably warned against the torture of criminal suspects to exhort confession and evidence arguing that no Ugandan should be beaten by the security forces. He threatened that perpetrators will be hunted and be dealt with.
Baine has asked anybody alleging that they are tortured by security personnel to report to authorities persons torturing them.
“In prison, we carry our names on our chests. Let anyone who says they have been tortured tell us who tortured them,” Baine added.
