The State minister for internal affairs has apologised in parliament for the use of torture.
Kania Obiga was speaking after President Yoweri Museveni condemned the use of torture in a letter to his top security chiefs.
Mr Obiga referred to a number of recent reports suggesting that suspects had been tortured by police.
“We apologise to the country because essentially what we do as police should not be what you are seeing in the media.
“Laws have been broken but it’s not correct to say that we have been doing nothing,” he is quoted by local media.
President Museveni on Tuesday said in a statement that, “Our annoyance with these criminals should not make us opt for defective short-cuts. These are hardened criminals by default who think that by denying they can kill and escape accountability. However, we shall get them using patient means of evidence but not through torture because evidence through torture is not reliable.”
“The use of torture is unnecessary and wrong and must not be used again if it was being used as I see some groups claiming in the media. Of course, the criminals are most annoying by using the cowardly but shallow methods of the boda bodas, taking advantage of the large number of vehicles and people in order to commit crime and hide.,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Kibaale county Mp in Kamwenge district, Eng Cuthbert Abigaba has protested the manner in which tortured Mayor of Kamwenge Town Council, Geoffrey Byamukama was snatched from the hospital and taken back to Nalufenya detention facility in Jinja district.
According to his wife, Viola Kyomugisha, Byamukama was picked from Nakasero hospital and taken back to Nalufenya on Saturday over what the police say was rescuing him from media disturbances.
Byamukama was recently arrested in connection to the murder of former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi, had been admitted at the hospital with serious wounds allegedly sustained from police torture at the detention centre.
Eng Abigaba says it is inhuman for Byamukama to be discharged when he is still in pain as a result of his superficial wounds.
