The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Tribunal, during a session in Gulu, has awarded Shs 60 million to a man whose father was fatally assaulted by seven Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers in 2006 over allegations of collaborating with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
Okwera Alex, the petitioner, filed a case against the government, holding it accountable for the killing of his father, Omona Martin. The tribunal, chaired by Hon. Mariam Wangadya, reviewed evidence showing that Omona, a displaced resident of Layibi Division in Gulu Municipality, had been traveling to Patiko Sub-county to purchase food.
While stopping at a shop in Coo Pee Trading Center to buy a soda, he paid with a Shs 50,000 note. This act aroused suspicion, leading the shopkeeper to alert nearby soldiers, who accused him of being an LRA informant. Omona was subsequently beaten to death, and his body was abandoned near an army detachment.
The tribunal’s session in Gulu, running from March 5 to 7, 2025, is set to address 18 cases. Other members of the commission include Hon. Shifrah Lukwago, Hon. Simeon Muwanga Nsubuga, and Hon. Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru.
