By.Admin
Civil
society organization have today released their private report dubbed, Before
the NGO serving you is targeted, detailing how several offices were broken.
Reading the
finding today at the event to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN
declaration of human rights defenders, Anthony Masape one of the researchers
reveals, over 34 CSOs in and out of Kampala were broken into among them being HURINET, HURAPH, HRNJ, LASPNET, AKINA MAMA
WA AFRIKA among others with culprits taking valuables ranging from data,
computers, killing and injuring guards, with most break in involving insiders.
The report
further reveals that the offices are not having proper security measures like
CCTV cameras, no fences and some with no gates, no proper checks for visitors
among others which continues to expose them to un lawful acts.
The report
now calls on govt to bring the culprits to book and produce conclusive reports
in the investigations as well as close some of the files still standing against
officials from the CSOs.
The
investigation which started way back in 2013
have not have the input of police investigations into the matter which has
limited the report from detailing deeper analysis of the problem in the
country.
Now the
report recommends that police produces the investigative reports and take the
culprits to court, CSOs to step up security at their offices among others
factors.
However, the
head of UN human rights office in Uganda, Robert
Kochani
challenges human rights defenders in Uganda not to give following the break in,
saying this are acts aimed at deterring them from executing their roles.
But, the
acting executive director national coalition of human rights defenders’
coalition, Prossy Babirye is tasking
the parliamentary committee on human rights improve on its over sight role in
parliament if human rights defenders’ are to have a conducive working
environment.
According to
the Babirye, the committee has not fully played its role of representing human
rights issues on the floor of the house hence the continued shrinking space for
human rights defenders and the continued abuse of people’s rights in the
country.
And on the
issue of office break in, she challenges CSOs to lay better strategies on how
to safe guard themselves from further incidences.
She revealed
this at a meeting where human rights defenders were marking the 20th
anniversary of the UN declaration of human rights defenders under the theme,
“Reinforcing human rights defenders’ protection, advancing rights”
However, the
chairperson parliamentary human rights committee Jovia Kamateka says,
they are trying hard to have rights issues raised and given priority in
parliament.
END