Four people have been awarded Shs69.5 million in general damages for being falsely accused of murder, unlawful arrests and alleged torture.
The individual who have been identified as Simon Kirungi, his wife Scovia Nsungwa, Fred Kyaligonza, and Peregrini Kwikiriza, all residents of Buhimba, Hoima district were awarded this amount of money during a tribunal of Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Tribunalsitting at Hoima Regional Office has awarded a total of shs 69.5 million in Hoima City.
A panel of four commissioners namely Mariam Wangadya, UHRC Chairperson, Commissioners; Hajat Shifrah Lukwago, Simeo Nsubuga, and Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru, heard that the quadruple was unlawfully arrested, accused of murder and subjected to torture following the sudden death of Margaret Nsungawa who was a sister to former Buhaguzi county MP Tom Kyahurwenda. This was during a week-long sessions of Appeals Tribunal in Bunyoro Sub-region.
23-page decision read by Wangadya on behalf of the panel, the Tribunal noted that on June 1, 2008, at around 9am, Kirungi was arrested by police officers of Hoima Police Station and taken to Mugoro Forest.
“They forced him to carry the body parts of the deceased to the station where he was detained. Kirungi, Kyaligonza, and Kwikiriza alleged that during their detention, they were severely beaten by police officers who also burned them with molten plastic, undressed them and forced them to sit in red ants that bit them, and chopped off pieces of flesh from their bodies. This was intended to compel them to confess to the murder of Nsungwa Margaret,” the commission heard.
In May 2011, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped the murder claims against all the complainants.
The commission also determined that the police infringed on the complainants’ right to personal liberty, with Kirungi and Kyaligonza detained for 11 days each, Kwikiriza for 8 days, and Nsungwa for 14 days.
“In consideration of all the above factors, we consider SHS 20 million adequate compensation to each of the three complainants, namely, Kirungi, Kyaligonza, and Kwikiriza. We consider a sum of SHS 2 million adequate compensation for the first two complainants, Kirungi and Kyaligonza; SHS 1.5 million for Kwikiriza; and SHS 4 million for Nsungwa for violation of their respective rights to personal liberty. We so award.”
