Justice Served: Exiled Author Kakwenza Awarded UGX 50 Million in Torture Case against Government

The Ugandan High Court has ordered the government to compensate exiled novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija with UGX 50 million for the physical and psychological torture he endured at the hands of state security agents.

 The decision follows the arrest and alleged cruel treatment of Rukirabashaija, a vocal opponent of the Ugandan government and author of multiple political novels. For the author, who has since left Uganda for his safety due to ongoing harassment and persecution by the government, this historic ruling is a major step toward justice.

https://twitter.com/KakwenzaRukira/status/1849409034744471993

According to the court’s ruling, the government violated Kakwenza's rights by detaining him from April 13th to April 20th, 2020, without due process. The court found this action to be illegal and in breach of Article 23(4) of Uganda's Constitution, which protects the right to personal liberty.
The court also denounced the brutal and degrading treatment Kakwenza received, which included handcuffing him, beating him, kicking him, blindfolding him, and keeping him in incommunicado confinement. According to Articles 24 and 44(a) of the Constitution, these actions were considered to be a breach of his right to be free from torture and inhumane treatment.

According to the ruling, Kakwenza's right to privacy under Article 27(1)(a) and (2) was also violated when government investigators illegally searched his residence without a warrant.

Consequently, the court awarded Kakwenza UGX 40 million in general damages and an additional UGX 10 million in exemplary damages, while also directing the government to pay the taxed costs of the legal proceedings.
Eron Kiiza, Kakwenza's lawyer, praised the ruling and urged the government to look into and punish those who tortured him.

In early 2022, Kakwenza fled to Germany, where he has since garnered international recognition and received several awards for his literary work. Prior to his escape from Uganda, he faced two charges under the Computer Misuse Act, which resulted in the confiscation of his passport, further intensifying his struggle against government oppression.