The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has come out strongly to denounce the arrest and consequent torture of National Unity Platform party member identified as Marinos Alexandria.

Yesterday, Marinos was paraded before NUP women leadership where she narrated how plain clothed operatives including a civilian friend kidnapped her from her residence in Mbuya on March 30, and illegally detained her at Chifetancy of Military Intelligence(CMI) in Mbuya.

Marianos revealed that she was whipped severally on the buttocks, chest, back and later raped, while handcuffed by two men she identified as Erias Ssengooba, a civilian and Hassan Matovu a Sergeant. Marinos displayed torture marks on different parts . Ssengooba is a civilian with ties to security forces.

She claims they tortured her for supporting and playing songs of NUP President, Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.

However , UPDF Spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye, on Friday dismissed the allegations as fabricated while in a press conference held at Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Mbuya.
Brig Kulayigye says the CMI has no records of arresting or holding Marianos in their facility at the time she claims to have been kidnapped.

He presented a printout showing the days when Marinos alleges to have been kidnapped, she was constantly in telephone conversations with various people which would have been impossible for a person in CMI custody.

“We have reviewed the grave allegations against the institution of CMI and we categorically state that she is not known to CMI and has never been held in our detention, the two individuals she alleges tortured her are people she has known for a longtime,” Kulayigye, said

Brig Kulayigye claims that Marinos wants to benefit from the compensation of all torture victims which was recently ordered by President Museveni.

Sgt Hassan and Ssengoba confessed that they know Marinos. Sgt Matovu through Brig Kulayigye said the first she met Marinos was in 2020 when they searched her house in Mbuya because they suspected that her boyfriend a Local Defence Unit (LDU) deserter had abandoned the gun and uniform at her residence.

“Hassan was involved in interrogating her at Kinawataka Police Station in 2020 when she was suspected of possession of military stores. This is because her lover at the time, an LDU soldier, deserted and it was suspected he might have left some military stores or equipment in her possession,” Brig Kulayigye said.