KAMPALA – The High Court has awarded the Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago UGX 50million as compensation for the violation of his rights and freedom.
This after the court ruled that the police abused his right to freedom when he was arrested outside his home in Lungujja on December 14, 2017.
The court ruled that the compensation was appropriate as punitive, exemplary, general damages for the psychological torture, mental anguish, and emotional stress suffered by the Applicant.
Narrating to Uganda Human Rights Commission how police allegedly tortured him as he planned to leave his home in Wakaliga, Rubaga Division in Kampala, Mr Lukwago accused police of grabbing his private parts and squeezing them hard, causing him excruciating pain.
Mr Lukwago and a group of other city leaders had planned to hold a procession from City Hall to Constitutional Square to launch their Togibikula (don’t tamper with the Constitution) campaign against the proposed amendment of Article 102(b) to remove the presidential age limit from the Constitution.
Mr Lukwago, who screamed while he was being arrested, told Daily Monitor that police and other plain clothed operatives pounced on him while speaking to journalists in front of his gate before he was bundled on a waiting enclosed police van.
“The police officers caused a lot of excruciating pain to me which I think was meant to incapacitate me. They massively pounced on me as you watched them on television and whoever touched me made sure that they leave pain on the part they had touched,” he said.
“They shoved and punched me, squeezed my private parts, ribs and the entire part of the lower abdomen which left me in a lot of pain. I just surrendered because there is no way I could extricate myself. I still feel pain.” Mr Lukwago said.
