Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has finally spoken out on the events that unfolded at the burial of the late Jakana Sulaiman Nadduli at Kadunda Village; Nakaseke District which left several people injured.
In its statement, the Commission has asked law enforcement agencies to carry out expeditious investigations into the violent incidents witnessed during the burial ceremony of Jakana Sulaiman Nadduli, son of the former bush war hero Al-Hajji Abdul Nadduli.
Violent clashes erupted between a section of Opposition and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters on Monday at Jakana’s burial, during which a controversial, NRM activist Ivan Kamuntu Majambere was thumped by angry mourners that accused him of trying to block NUP officials from addressing people during the burial.
“The Commission and indeed the country witnessed ugly images of video clips of a violent scuffle that ensued during the burial ceremony of Jakana Sulaiman Nadduli, the son of Mzee Abdul Nadduli, in Kaddunda village, Semuto, Nakaseke District, which culminated in chaos and mayhem. The incident which involved a mob of alleged mourners violently assaulting another; one Ivan Kamuntu Majambere for reasons not yet established by the Commission, is of concern to us, given its human rights implications”. Reads part of the UHRC statement signed by the UHRC chairperson, Mariam Wangadya.
However, Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has not received a warm reception from certain political actors in Uganda accusing it of double standards when it comes to enforcing human rights.
National Unity Platform (NUP) party president Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has criticized in his response to the commission, accusing it of coiling its tail when Jakana Nadduli was violently arrested and allegedly tortured while in security custody.
Bobi Wine in his statement reminded the commission of how it received his complaint of human rights abuse when he was reportedly gruesomely tortured in 2018, but till now nothing has been done and the complaint seems to be sat on.
UHRC statement comes hours after the Minister of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who doubles as MP Kinkizi East Constituency, Kanungu District questioned the silence of “human rights defenders” over Majambere’s mob assault.
In several videos recorded and shared after the attack, Majambere who had just been rescued from mob action is heard threatening to kill four Ugandans in the presence of police.