Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) have expressed concern in the ways police is handling citizens in Nalufenya to “obtain information”, calling upon the law enforcement body to “explain to the citizens where they derive judicial power.”
In a statement by Paul Mwiru, the party’s deputy spokesperson, FDC seeks to know “how suspects who had taken plea would be remanded to Nalufenya if it were not for facilitating torture.”
FDC maintains that “The Uganda Police Force took advantage of the suspects being remanded at Nalufenya to have them tortured as was evidenced by the fresh abrasions on their bodies.”
FDC’s cries come amidst reports of police torturing Kaweesi murder suspects notable among them Kamwengye Town Council Mayor Geoffrey Byamukama, who was arrested on April 5th.
Byamukama was arrested while on a visit to Kampala, and driven away to Nalufenya, one of the most dreaded detention facilities in the Eastern District of Jinja where he was held incommunicado.
FDC further punches holes in the way court handed the cases.
“When the Kaweesi murder suspects appeared before the Court to take plea, they were remanded to Nalufenya in Jinja by the Presiding Magistrate a thing which is not only irregular but also illegal as Nalufenya is not a designated dentation place,” writes FDC in their letter to press.
FDC has also called upon the government to explain the unending drought which they believe is the cause of low sugarcane yields.
“The Forum for Democratic Change has noticed the escalating Sugar prices in the Country and has taken into account the Government explanation of drought as a cause of low sugarcane can yields hence low levels of Sugar production,” the letter continues.
In the same statement, they call upon government “to allow duty free importation of sugar and at the same time have a burn on sugar export for as long as the sugar shortage subsists in the Country.”