“Friends of Kakwenza” a coalition of Ugandan activist organizations and individuals have called upon the Uganda Human Rights Commission chairperson Margaret Wangadya to resign unless she urges President Museveni to cause author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija to be unconditionally released.
Rukirabashaija is the 2021 PEN International “Writer of Courage.”
He is the author of two critically acclaimed books, “The Greedy Barbarians,” and “Banana Republic—Where Writing is Treasonous.”
Rukirabashaija is also a writer for New York City-based Black Star News, which publishes his weekly “My Free Thoughts” column.
He was dragged from his home by armed men in civilian clothes who broke down his door, on December 28, 2021. Since then, he has been held incommunicado without access to his family and his lawyer, Eron Kiiza, who says he’s been tortured.
He has not been formally charged with any crime and he’s not been produced in court despite promises by the CIID spokesperson Charles Twine that he would be arraigned on Tuesday January 4th.
By law, the Ugandan government is required to charge any arrested suspect and produce the person in court within 48 hours but this has not been the case with Kakwenza.
The novelist was arrested on a charge of offensive communication for describing UPDF Commander of Land Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a Social Media posting as “obese.”
This is the third time that Rukirabashaija has been arrested in the past year. On the two previous occasions, he was severely tortured by agents of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI).
Gen. Abel Kandiho, the commander of CMI, was sanctioned on December 7, 2021 by the U.S. Treasury Department for ordering, supervising and participating in some of the gruesome abuses, including sexual torture.
Rukirabashaija was first arrested and tortured by CMI last year after writing “The Greedy Barbarian,” a novel about a corrupt African dictator. After he was released from captivity, he wrote “Banana Republic—Where Writing is Treasonous,” which documented his torture by CMI.
PEN International issued a statement on December 30, 2021 calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Kakwenza Rukirabashaija.
On December 29, 2021 the U.S. State Department released the following statement to Black Star News: “We are aware of reports on the December 28 arrest of Ugandan writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija. Civil society organizations, human rights defenders, political party representatives, writers, and journalists all play critical roles in a democratic society and should be permitted to carry out their responsibilities free of harassment. We are seeking additional information regarding this arrest and will continue to monitor developments.”
Mr. Kiiza, Rukirabashaija’s lawyer says that his client has been tortured since his December 28 arrest.
DEMANDS
In a statement seen by The Tower Post, the “Friends of Kakwenza” demand;
“The UHRC boss Margaret Wangadya resigns for enabling the cover up of torture by forces loyal the regime and that the commission should push government to respect and protect the rights of prisoners in their custody by allowing them unfettered access to or by their lawyers, keen/kith, Doctors as enshrined in the constitution, other laws and international standards that Uganda is a party to.”
“They should be accorded expeditious trials by having regular days in the courts of law and when the courts grant bail there shouldn’t be any denial or re-arresting a prisoner unless it is after ascertaining that the suspect had not been tried for a freshly investigated crime.”
The coalition further demands freedom for all political prisoners unconditionally without delay, that the first family should be stopped from disrespecting the rule of law and violating human rights of citizens with impunity.
“We demand for Kakwenza”s release and case withdrawn due to torture by the arresting authority, who instead should be investigated and prosecuted.”