By Francis Lubega and Ben Musanje
The Speaker of the 10th Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has Wednesday instructed the Human Rights Committee of Parliament to visit Nalufenya police station, access the situation and report to the house soon.
Kadaga made the directive in her communication to the house during plenary session directing the committee chaired by Mitooma Woman MP Jovah Kamateeka to examine the facility and report back to the house on its findings.
Nalufenya detention facility has recently captured the attention of the members of the public fueled by the recent photos showing torture of the Kamwenge Mayor, Geofrey Byamukama .
The House was charged yesterday after the Speaker brought the issue for discussion in which she ordered that the perpetrators of torture be arrested and produced before Courts of law today.
Kadaga drew the attention of members to Article 24 of the Constitution which provides that no person should be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment as a punishment.
In her response to the assignment, the Committee Chairperson Jovah Kyamateeka said that the committee will immediately take on the task and report to the house within a period of two weeks.
She added though, that during their frequent visits to gazette prisons in the country, their findings are that most of them are okay.
This week, some of the legislators including Muwanga Kivumbi, Francis Mwijukye and Abbas Agaba spoke strongly against the torture of suspects, saying it violates their rights. Some of the legislators called for the immediate closure of Nalufenya Police facility calling it a torture chamber.
On Tuesday, President Yoweri Museveni wrote to the Inspector General of Police discouraging him from using torture to extract confessions from suspects, saying some of the suspects could be innocent.
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