Four Ugandan police officers banned from traveling to US over human rights abuse

The United States of America has sanctioned four Uganda Police Force Officials over their alleged involvement in gross violations of human rights.

“The Department of State is taking action today to promote accountability for human rights violations committed in Uganda by designating four members of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) due to their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely torture and cruel, inhuman, or “degrading treatment or punishment,” a Wednesday afternoon (October 2) statement from the US department reads in part.

The sanctioned officers are Bob Kagarura, the then-Wamala Regional Police Commander of the UPF; Alex Mwine, then-District Police Commander for the Mitanya District of the UPF; Elly Womanya, then-Senior Commissioner within the UPF and Deputy Director of the UPF’s Criminal Investigations Division in charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU); and Hamdani Twesigye, then-Deputy Inspector of Police assigned to SIU.

Kagarura, Mwine, Womanya, Twesigye and their immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States, according to the US department.

“The reports that Kagarura, Mwine, Twesigye, and Womanya were involved in gross violations of human rights, as documented by Ugandan civil court documents, civil society organizations, and independent journalists, are serious and credible. By publicly designating these individuals, the United States reaffirms its commitment to advancing the human rights of all Ugandans and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations,” the statement adds in part.

The sanctions are derived from Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024.