Exiled lawyer and author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija has revisited his alleged experience in the hands of Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) after former Aruu County MP Odonga Otto said he was detained by the agency for eight hours.
Otto made the revelation during an appearance on NBS Television on Thursday night, August 13, saying his troubles began after his vehicle broke down outside the CMI facility.
“My car broke down in front of CMI and they detained me for 8 hours because they didn't understand why an opposition person's car would break down in front of CMI of all places,” Otto said.
His account prompted Kakwenza to recall his own alleged detention and treatment by security personnel, using the experience to comment on the risks opposition figures can face when dealing with Uganda’s security agencies.
Kakwenza said he remembered being subjected to degrading treatment during his detention, alleging that he was stripped naked, tied to railway tracks and left there for hours.
“I still remember the night they strung me up naked on the rails and left me hanging there until the sky started to lighten,” Kakwenza said.
He also alleged that he was subjected to further physical abuse by the people holding him in custody.
“By morning my penis was hard for no reason at all—just the usual uninvited, unstoppable morning wood. So the same idiots started beating it like it had personally offended them, trying to ‘calm it down,’” he said.
Kakwenza’s account refers to allegations he has previously made about his treatment while in detention in Uganda. He has maintained that he was tortured because of his criticism of the government and security establishment.
His comments come amid renewed attention to the conduct of CMI and other security agencies in their dealings with opposition politicians, activists and government critics.
CMI, the military intelligence arm of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), is mandated to gather military intelligence and investigate threats to national security and defence. The agency has nevertheless faced allegations over the detention and alleged mistreatment of civilians.
Otto has not said that he was charged with an offence during the eight hours he described as detention. His explanation was that security personnel became suspicious after finding his vehicle broken down outside the intelligence facility.
The two accounts have placed renewed focus on questions surrounding the treatment of opposition figures and civilians who come into contact with military intelligence officers.
Kakwenza’s allegations remain his account of events, while Otto’s detention claims have not been independently established from the information available.