AfriPulse
Kenyan human rights activist Bob Njagi, who was detained for 38 days in Uganda, has accused the country’s Special Forces Command of arbitrary arrests and abuses, calling on regional governments to take urgent action to protect human rights.
Njagi spoke to journalists on Wednesday about harsh detention conditions and what he called politically-motivated arrests, saying over 150 remain in custody without trial.
“The son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is undertaking these crimes against humanity. They have been carried out at the Special Forces Command Centre in Kasese, which serves as a training ground for the presidential security team. They consider themselves next to none and they don’t take command from the judiciary, parliament, or even the executive,” Njagi claimed.
He further stated that some detainees have been confined for up to a year without formal charges.
“These people have no cases; most have been held for political reasons,” he said, referring to secret detention units as “the fridge” and “the freezer.”
Njagi also alleged a regional coordination in his own arrest, claiming that authorities in Kenya and Tanzania were involved.
“Our arrest was coordinated with the Kenyan government. They knew we were crossing into Tanzania, raised the alarm, and those authorities did the dirty work for them,” he alleged.
The human rights defender called for East African solidarity and stronger legislative action to safeguard human rights across borders.
“We will stand in solidarity with our brothers in Tanzania, and we are calling for the closure of the Tanzanian embassy in Kenya until further notice. We urge Parliament to push this motion,” Njagi said.
He concluded with a passionate appeal for governments to place human rights at the centre of governance.
“We want governments led by values that put human rights at the core of every administration. We will continue to fight for these rights for as long as we live,” he remarked.
Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…
