MP Odur questions judiciary report on human rights

On Wednesday, April 2, Erute South MP Jonathan Odur questioned a Judiciary report before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs.

According to the report, which tndNews has requested a copy of, 210 judicial officers were trained in human rights.

MP Odur then inquired as to what aspects of human rights training they had received. The Legislator stated, “Uganda is awash with reports of sickly and tortured suspects appearing before courts.”

When the suspects appear in poor health, MP Odur said judicial officers send them back to jail instead of hospitals.

The Erute South MP directed his question to Pius Bigirimana, Secretary to the Judiciary, who appeared before the Committee to present the Judiciary’s 2025/26 budget papers.

Odur also expressed concern about the unequal distribution of cases among judges. He observed that some are assigned more files than others.

Human rights record in Uganda 

Uganda has made headlines around the world for human rights violations against opposition politicians and journalists.

The East African country drew the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 2023, as it had in previous years.

Opposition politicians such as Dr Kizza Besigye, Robert Kyagulanyi, and others have been and continue to be targeted by the government, with Besigye currently facing trial for treachery and illegal firearm possession.

The politicians mentioned above, as well as others, have had to appear in court while in ill health and then be sent back to prison.

According to Avocats Sans Frontieres, at least 94 anti-oil activists were arrested between May and December 2024.