Zaake Drags 7 Security Bosses To High Court

Municipality Member of Parliament (MP) Francis Zaake has dragged government together with seven security bosses to the High Court.

Those sued include Abel Kandiho who heads the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), Kagarura Bob the Commandant of Wamala Regional Police and Elly Womanya the head of Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

Others include Mityana District Police Commander Alex Mwiine, Hamdani Tumwesigye, Haruna Nsamba Mulungi and Musa Walugembe the Officer in charge of SIU.

According to Miscellaneous case number 85 of 2020 that was filed yesterday, the above are blamed for intentionally inflicting severe pain and suffering on Zaake during his arrest and detention.

His lawyers say that their client was subjected to punches, kicks, paper spray as well as assuming stressful body positions something they say goes against Articles 20 (2), 24, 44 (a) and 44 (c) of the Ugandan Constitution.

“Forcing the applicant to assume a fixed and stressful positions while denying him access to medication, doctors of his choice, threatened his life and constituted a threat to protection of the right to life vide articles 20(2) and 22 of the Ugandan Constitution,” the application reads.

Besides that, Zaake’s legal team wants the respondents punished for downgrading Zaake’s tribe and cultural leader Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi in the course of grilling him.

They say that that such abhorrent behavior is contradictory to articles 21 (2), 37 and 44 of the Ugandan Constitution which seek to protect one from ethnic and cultural discrimination.

“By making derogatory statements against the applicant’s tribe and cultural leaders, the respondents and or their subordinates/officers infringed the applicant’s right to equality,” the application further states.

Speaking from his sick bed at Rubaga Hospital, Zaake said while in detention, he was referred to as a dog in Runyankole/Rukiga dialect and His Majesty Ronald Muwenda name was tarnished as well.

“Luli twakulaba nga olopela Kabaka nti tutulugunya nokutta abaganda (we saw you last time reporting to Kabaka that we torture and kill Baganda). Kati yita Kabaka wo akuyambe (Now call your King for help,” Zaake quoted the security officials.

The MP also wants the security officials to be held accountable for holding him beyond the stipulated 48 hours and breaking into his house illegally.

Zaake was arrested on April 19 2020 from his Mityana country home for distributing food, which was against social distancing guidelines issued by President Yoweri Museveni.