Court has awarded 12 Ugandans a compensation of Shs387m for unlawful detention after demonstrating against the removal of presidential age limit from the Constitution and in connection with the killing of former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

Justice Margaret Mutonyi condemned police brutality and said the compensation was to serve as a future deterrent to men in uniform who violate the rights of citizens.

“It is a notorious fact that some [security officers] are rewarded and applauded for acting with impunity against citizens, which amounts to gross abuse of authority and must, therefore, be discouraged and condemned by this court,” Justice Mutonyi ruled on Friday.

The police officers, who had been sued by the 12 people, were Asan Kasingye, Emillian Kayima, Brian Nyehangane, Ms Sarah Nankwaga Sharifa, and Alfred Ndugutse.

Kasingye and Kayima will not compensate the 12 petitioners because the court did not find any evidence connected to them in regards to human rights violations.

Similarly, the ten petitioners had alleged that they were arrested on September 18, 2017, from Kampala City.

They further alleged that they were kept in police cells without access to any of their relatives and lawyers for 192 days and for another 120 days, without being formally charged before courts of law.

The age limit protesters included Abel Mucunguzi, Johab Agaba, Edris Mutebi, Jackson Ssemwanga, Ferdinand Luta, Eddy Atwiine, Bashil Mubiru, Ronald Muwonge, Eria Musoke and Galasi Mushizimana.

Justice Mutonyi observed that police’s role was to provide security for them but not to violently stop them since the Constitution caters for peaceful demonstrations.