Maverick Uganda Human Rights Commission chairperson Mariam Wangadya has pleaded with Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi wife to National Unity Platform (NUP) principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) to allow her to investigate the allegations that the army violated her rights during the raid on their home last week.
When narrating the traumatic environment, she went through with her family members when the military raided her matrimonial home at Magere in Kasangati Town Council in Wakiso district, Itungo disclosed that army officers forced their way inside the house and started insulting her in front of her children and other people present.
She said that they first confiscated her phone, then forced her to remove the password and then peoceeded to manhandle her by pulling her tight night dress which resulted into tearing it into pieces as they squeezed her to reveal to them the whereabouts of her husband.
Kyagulanyi went into hiding claiming that State is after his life. Since then, he has been playing hide and seek games with security.
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Itungo claimed that as she was being manhandled, the armed military men who participated in the said operation accused her of betraying her people by getting married to a stupid Muganda as if there were no men from her Ankole tribe.
She said that as her night dress was torn into pieces, the military men used their phones to film and take pictures of her while communicating to their bosses and briefing them on how the operation was being executed.
While commenting on the incident through his X handle, Gen Muhoozi the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) confirmed the raid. He however denied insulting Itungo noting that as the military, they have no time to insult and beat women.
He explained that the operation was about the arrest of Bobi Wine who he branded as a cowardly husband.
The development comes days after Itungo reported to Uganda’s Inter-Religious Council top leadership led by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stephen Kazimba Mugalu that Gen Muhoozi is threatening her family members life.
When contacted for a comment, Wangadya strongly condemned the actions of the army noting that what was done violates the rights of people in Bobi Wine’s home.
She asked Itungo to institute a complaint at their commission against the army.
“The only way we can intervene in that bad incident is through a complaint which can be filed by Bobi Wine’s wife or Bobi Wine himself as head of the family. Our hands are wide open to receive that complaint,” Wangadya said.
Wangadya disclosed that she is scared of sending her team back to Magere to engage Itungo on the said incident saying that when the army placed her under siege by blocking people from accessing her home, she sent her highly trained human rights investigators and lawyers to engage her and strategise on how they can be helped but she was shocked when her team reported back that she declined to meet them.
“When she was told that members from Uganda Human Rights Commission wanted to talk to talk to her, after spending hours waiting for her from her house’s waiting room, she responded by telling them that she was not ready to meet them because she did not expect them at that time and date,” Wangadya said.
She pleaded with Itungo to have full trust in them to handle her complaint.
Wangadya noted that the Constitution gives them powers to summon and issue judgements even against military men because they have powers equivalent to those of a High Court judge.
She further disclosed that what the army is doing at Bobi Wine’s home icluding blocking people who are taking food and other necessities to individuals inside his house violates human rights. She advised them to leave with immediate effect.
It should be noted that when Bobi Wine’s civilian bodyguard Edward Ssebuufu (Eddy Mutwe) was kidnapped by the army and detained for over 48 hours which are stipulated within the constitutional, Wangadya issued a warning that she was going to issue criminal summons against the CDF if he does not present Mutwe to courts of law.
Muhoozi didn’t wait for Wangadya’s criminal summons, he ordered Mutwe to be presented to Masaka Chief Magistrates Court where he was charged with aggravated robbery and remanded to a government prison.
