Detained Ssewanyana complains of torture

The Makindye West Member of Parliament Allan Ssewanyanya, on Thursday, attempted to undress to show torture marks inflicted on him allegedly by security personnel.

Ssewanyana, currently on remand at Kigo Prison on Thursday, via Zoom appeared before the Masaka High Court Judge Lawrence Tweyanze, seeking to be released on bail.

To substantiate the torture claims Ssewanyana raised his hand and asked that he be allowed to show the judge his swollen genitals.

But his request was turned down by Justice Tweyanze who noted that he will do it another time.

“The day I was rearrested, I was tortured, the security officers beat me up to the extent of squeezing my testicles and they are swollen. With your permission, I can show the court how they are now,” he said before the judge hurriedly interjected to decline the permission.

Ssewanyana appeared alongside his co-accused person; the Member of Parliament for Kawempe North constituency Muhammad Ssegirinya who is now admitted at the Prison health facility of Murchison-Bay in Luzira where he is undergoing treatment for kidney and liver-related complications.

Ssegirinya also displayed to court wounds on his left foot, which he claimed were inflicted on him by the security operatives who allegedly tortured him.

Their lawyer, Erias Lukwago told the court that his clients are in bad health and their conditions can’t be effectively managed at the prisons.

He indicated that they have several times told the court about the gross violations their clients have suffered but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, Lukwago presented nine grounds to form a basis upon which he wants to court to grant duo second release on bail.  He argues that the suspects were earlier granted bail of grave capital offences of terrorism and that they are law-abiding citizens who can turn themselves in whenever called upon.

Besides being Members of Parliament who owe responsibilities to the electorates, the two are parents who have families to take care of, and that they also have substantial sureties willing to be admitted on bond and ready to fulfill the conditions.

The two opposition MPs alongside six other people are facing charges related to the recent spate of murders in which 27 were hacked in Masaka.