Humanist

United States (US) government confirmed it premised its sanctions against Ugandans – Police Officers – Bob Kagarura, Alex Mwine, Elly Womanya and Hamdani Twesigye, on evidence from Court documents.

This is despite, Court ruling “there was no evidence to show that the named officers individually participated in the acts of torture.”

And Court awarded 75 million shillings to the complainant, Member of Parliament, Francis Zaake Butebi, as compensation for his ill treatment while in detention.

Zake’s lawyer, a seasoned human rights advocate, Eron Kiiza, is reported to have characterized the decision of Court as “effective justice.”

The State has since appealed the award of 75 million shillings; and Zake has cross appealed the decision not finding the officers liable for his torture. Sanctioning officers whose case is before Court, lends credence to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ perception of such sanctions as an:

“Insult and undermine our judicial system,” Minister Okello Oryem

It could be, in fact, considered tantamount to double jeopardy – US convicting and punishing the four for a crime which they have already been tried and Court has pronounced itself on the matter. The Biden Democrats Administration, seemingly, in contempt of Uganda Courts of Law.

The advocacy of US university don, Dursan Peksen (PhD) are both interesting and enlightening in this context. He advocates for US sanctions that are “smart/targeted,” such as “in the form of travel bans on targeted country’s officials,” similar to the ones the US issued against the four police officers.

His rationale for targeted sanctions is that “as political elites face the cost of coercion more immediately through targeted sanctions, they should be more conciliatory towards the sender country’s demands.”

• So, what exactly has the Museveni National Resistance Movement (NRM) Administration done that “contradicts US foreign policy or national security goals,” to warrant the US playing its sanctions card?
• What is it that the Biden Democrats Administration is demanding from the Museveni NRM Administration?  
• Or, perhaps, is it the case of Democrats needing to look good in the eyes of the US electorate during this ongoing US campaign season?

The timing of the announcement of these latest US sanctions, simply provided the first son and Commander of the Defense Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kaneirugaba, with an opportunity to serve up a red herring.

He called out the US Ambassador to Uganda, William W. Popp, for engaging in “undiplomatic behavior,” blaming the Ambassador for causing US sanctions against Ugandans. A red herring that has temporarily diverted attention away from the election of Senior Counsel Issac Ssemakade as President of Uganda Law society (ULS).

Global focus and interest has been diverted away from the Ssemakadde;s manifesto promising a “Radical New Bar” that is Back on Track” via his “bang the table” mission to redirect the legal profession to its most important mandates, as are stipulated in the Uganda Law Society Act (Cap 276):

• Maintain and improve the standards of conduct and learning of the legal profession in Uganda.
• Protect and assist the public in Uganda in all matters touching, ancillary or incidental to the law.

I wish for the attention being given to the CDF’s red herring, his dust-up with the US Ambassador, to wane quickly. We need full attention reverted back to ULS President Ssemakadde in office executing his manifesto.

Profiled photo @ Uganda Police Headquarters