Justice Boniface Wamala awarded famous Author and Satirist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija Shs. 10,000,000 in exemplary damages and Shs. 40,000,000 in general damages, a sum of Shs. 50,000,000 to the author, for torture and invasion of privacy by the state.
The 24 page ruling arrived by email on 23rd October. In the ruling, Justice Wamala determined that the author had proved that he was illegally held for over a week and tortured by state agents.
“The applicant provided evidence that the agents of the respondent has acted with high handedness and without accountability. The evidence shows that he was detained illegally for seven days, enduring torture and violations to his right to privacy the ruling stated.
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Court documents show that he was repetitively hit with gun butts while being denied medical attention. The author mentioned he was forced to kneel on stones with his arms tied and that he was subjected to threats and physical violence during interrogations focusing on his novel The Greedy Barbarian and his social media posts.
Mr. Eron Kiiza Kakwenza’s lawyer warmed to the ruling and urged the government to investigate and discipline those who committed the torture.
Early in 2022, Satirist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled to Germany, allegedly without a passport, and has since attained fame and recognition for his writing.
