By; Our reporter
27th July 2020
New accusations have been leveled against the Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF soldiers attached to the Fisheries Protection Unit-FPU in Mayuge and Jinja districts over torturing and extorting money from fishermen.
The fishermen accuse the soldiers of setting up tortures cells at their military detach at Namugongo landing site in Mayuge district where they batter those who fail to pay money in exchange for their freedom.
According to the fishermen, those found with illegal fishing gear on Lake Victoria are charged Shillings 400,000 while those transporting immature fish pay Shillings 600,000.
The fishermen claim that instead of prosecuting them in courts of law, the soldiers have resorted to battering them in front of their family members and friends, which deprives them of their dignity.
They claim that their pleas for help to police and local leaders fell on deaf ears as the FPU personnel are only accountable to president, Yoweri Museveni.
Ronald Akandwanaho, the FPU commandant in Jinja and Mayuge districts promised to investigate the torture claims and declined to comment further. This isn’t the first time soldiers attached to the FPU are being accused of using excessive force and brutalizing fishermen.
Last year, 68 fishermen sued government through their lawyer, Abwang Otim of M/S Abwang Otim, Opok and Co Advocates, demanding Shs1.2 trillion in compensation for alleged torture by Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces (UPDF) soldiers.
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