The National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD-U) is set to celebrate the International Human Rights Defenders’ Day in Jinja City this week.
The two-days event scheduled for December 7th and 8th this year is under the Theme; “Reinforcing the protection and promotion of HRDs and their work”, aims at not only to celebrate, but also to empower and raise awareness about the crutial work undertaken by Human Rights Defenders in Uganda and beyond.
While, addressing Journalists at Jinja City Hall on Monday December 4, 2023, the NCHRD-U Executive Director, Mr. Robert Kirenga highlighted the important roles being played by human rights defenders.
He explained that this year’s commemorations are expected to draw varoius participants from state actors and non state actors, development partners, individual Human Rights Defenders, the general public and the media.
The Executive Director said that on Thursday 7th December from 7am-04pm at Busoga square, disfferent activities shall kick start the celebrations which includes among others the tree planting to conserve the environment, blood donation to protect the rights to health, and cancer screening.
Mr. Kirenge called on the general public to turn up in large numbers at the Source of the Nile Hotel in jinja city, where the main commemoration day function will take place.
At the event, the organisers shall give out awards and certificates to the best human rights defenders and other forms of entertainment relating to the theme of the day.
“As we commemorate the International Human Rights Defenders’ Day let us collectively commit to creating an enabling environment for Human Rights Defenders so that they can protect abd promote human rights without fear…, by standing in solidality we can creat a world where the rights and diginity of Human Rights Defenders is respected and protected”, the press release reads in parts.
Meanwhile, the Eastern regional co-ordinator for Uganda Human Rights Commission, Ms Betty Enangu, told the media about their rippen plans to draft a legal doccument that will protect Human Rights Defenders while executing their duties.
“The women activists are the most vulnerable to the challenges, during their field of work.”
Enangu also argued for team work and cooperartion with concerned bodies such that the perpetrators are brought to book.
“A day after the comemorating the International Day of Human Rights Defenders, we shall also celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -UDHR on Sunday 10th December”, Enangu added.
She is worried that members of the public in Busoga sub region are perhaps ignorant about the existance of human rights defenders, citing the low cases of human rights violation registered in the region.
Other participants were Ms. Faith Namansa, Kenneth Ahimbisibwe, Moses Lwokyaza the representatives from Civil Society Organisations, the Uganda police force and the media respectively.
