Ugandan novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashija has for the first time narrated his detention ordeal following his arrest in December, last year.
In an interview with NTV Uganda, Kakwenza said immediately he was arrested, the officer blindfolded him and drove off at breakneck speed.
Kakwenza said the beatings started in the vehicle and they reached, it got worse.
“I was severely beaten while I was blindfolded. The officers could beat me while asking a series of questions that include; who funds me and also asking me to pull down my books from Amazon,” said Kakwenza while he showed deep torture marks on his body.
He added, “When I failed to answer, they beat me until I became unconscious.”
The writer disclosed that after the beatings he was forced to dance or else risk being beaten again.
“I could dance while in pain,” he said.
He revealed that at some point the perpetrators of torture used pliers to inflict more pain on his body.
“At that point, I thought I was going to die. I felt blood all over my body,” he said.
Although the state and the president have in the past condemned the use of torture to get information from suspects, some elements in the security agencies, continue to torture suspects in their various confines.
Kakwenza said after the torture, he was put in front of a camera and asked to apologize to President Museveni and First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
“I did what they asked me to do because I was in pain,” he said.
When the court granted him bail, Kakwenza said; “But, as I was being escorted out of prison after court bail, six masked officers emerged out of the maize plantation and kidnapped me before crossing the barrier. I was still inside, I even tried to limp back to the doorless office and they surrounded me, bundled me into a UPDF DC.”
He said he was taken to Makindye Military barracks where he was put into a self-contained room. A few hours later, the doctor came to check on him.
“After the check-up, I heard him tell someone on the phone that ‘The man is fine and we should not keep him here,” he disclosed.
However, he applauded the Uganda Prison boss Johnson Byabashaija for treating him with dignity when he was transferred to Kitalya Prison.
“Let me thank Johnson Byabashaija for inculcating discipline into his officers at Kitalya Mini max prison. Surely, they treated me with utmost dignity. Surely, how I entered Kitalya isn’t how I got out. There was an improvement and if it weren’t for them, I would have died there. Appreciation,” he said.
Kakwenza was arrested from his home in Kisaasi, following tweets he posted that were seen as an attack on the President and First Son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Rukirabashaija, is a satirical novelist who was named International Writer of Courage by last year.
