Oh, Uganda,
May God uphold thee,
We lay our future in thy hands,
United free for liberty,
Together we’ll always stand.

Above is one stanza of our National Anthem, whenever I watch the news nowadays and see what is happening in my country Uganda, I can’t help but sing our National Anthem.
The brutality which has been displayed by the police and army towards demonstrators has left me shaken to the core, the journalist who was beaten by soldiers like a dig for taking pictures broke my heart.

The man arrested and thrown on a pick up with a soldier holding pliers torturing him made me imagine what happens when no one is watching behind closed doors where they are sure that there are no cameras running.

This was not the first time the regime was torturing citizens, our constitution which was meant to protect us was changed severally to assemble, one must seek permission from police, this alone removes the right to peaceful demonstration, the police is within their right to disperse any gathering that hasn’t sought their permission and can no longer be brought to book.

What then shall we say about the torture of unarmed citizens? we must condemn it to the highest terms. one may say that nothing has changed for the past 32 years the regime has been in power but this does not mean that we should stop condemning such acts of torture and injustice.

let it go on record that the people of this demonstration condemned acts of violence and torture against its citizens by the police and army.

May justice prevail for those arrested, especially the ordinary citizen whose names are never mentioned in the media, the ones who act as collateral damage when the “big” guys are fighting. For those tortured, beaten, and manhandled, may they receive the medical attention they require.

Those who have lost their lives, one can only pray that they have not passed on in vain, that the families they have left behind are comforted and well taken care of, that the governments conscience may be tickled and they compensate the families of the victims who have died as a result of trigger-happy soldiers and police.

That those who have killed and tortured citizens be brought to book.