Rebecca came to the UK in 2005 to escape problems with her father when she was eight months pregnant. Before coming to the UK, Rebecca has faced many difficulties. In 1985 when she was only seven years old Rebecca's mum was killed. Her mum had been active in the Uganda People's Congress, a socialist party that made up the Ugandan government before it was overthrown in a military coup in 1985. Rebecca does not know who killed her mum. It could have been rebels fighting the UPC government for the reinstatement of the Bugunda Kingdom as her mum was living in the same region but Rebecca also thinks there is a strong possibility her father killed her mum.

Shortly after her mum was killed, her father fled to the north of Uganda and joined the Lords Resistance Army, which has been fighting the Ugandan Government for nearly 22 years and has become known for its brutality. Her father was a cousin of the third highest ranking commander of the LRA called Raska Lukwiya, who had an arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court and was killed in fighting in 2006.

After her father left her Rebecca went to live with foster parents. In 1992 she went to a school in the north of Uganda when members of the Lord's Resistance Army attacked it. Many of the girls at the school were attacked, raped and kidnapped. Rebecca resisted and was knocked unconscious and woke up in a hospital.

During her time with her foster family, her father repeatedly tried to make contact with Rebecca and in 2005 she went to meet him. He put a man called Ogwang, in charge of guarding her and made her a prisoner. During her time as a prisoner Rebecca had many problems with her father and from her guard. Finally Ogwang decided he would have to run away from Rebecca's father because he was scared he would be killed by him and he wanted Rebecca to come with him as she was now pregnant with their child.

At first Rebecca and Ogwang tried to hide at his mothers but people came looking for them so they made arrangements to come to the UK on a direct flight. Rebecca was now 8 months pregnant when she arrived in the UK and after Darren was born, she suffered bad post-natal depression. In the UK, Ogwang was very controlling and did not explain to Rebecca about claiming asylum.

She then started a relationship with another Nigerian man but when he became violent towards Darren she decided to come to Scotland with Ogwang and she thought he was going to claim asylum for the three of them. However it was not until when she visited the Scottish Refugee Council in December 2007 that she discovered that in fact Ogwang had not claimed asylum at all.

In December 2007 Rebecca claimed asylum in the UK and was put on the Fast-Track‚ system. Her asylum case was refused in March 2008.

Despite improvements in the Human Rights situation in Uganda over the last year, Rebecca is still in danger if she is returned to Uganda from her father, the Lords Resistance Army and possibly even the Ugandan authorities as a returned asylum seeker:

One year ago an estimated 1,500 children were still in LRA ranks, and at least 10,000 children remained unaccounted for. During the fighting, some 20,000 to 25,000 were abducted, made to work as sex slaves, child soldiers, and porters of weaponry and often forced to mutilate or kill friends and relatives. Tens of thousands of others became 'night commuters', walking long distances every night into towns to try to avoid brutal attack.

U.S.A Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Uganda 2007
The government's human rights record remained poor; serious problems remained, including unlawful killings by security forces; instances of torture and abuse of suspects by security forces; violence and discrimination against women and children, including female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual abuse of children; trafficking in persons; violence and discrimination against persons with disabilities and homosexuals; and forced labor, including by children.

Human Rights Watch world report - Uganda 2007
Uganda: In a continuing effort to hobble the political opposition, security agents interfered with the judiciary a they had done in 2005 and used heavy-handed police tactics in dealing with demonstrations. Soldiers engaged in law enforcement operations in the northeastern region of Karamoja improved their performance after international criticism of human rights abuses, but nonetheless committed grave violations in 2007

Please take urgent action now

1) Fax, Sam Okwulehie, Group Area Manager Kenya Airways and urge him not to carry out the forced removal of Rebecca & Darren - you can use the model fax 'Rebecca KA.doc' attached. You can copy, amend or write your own version - please quote, Rebecca Lutayakamya due to be forcibly removed from the UK to Uganda on Sunday 4th May at 20:00hrs on Kenya Airline flight KQ101 to Nairobi and flight KQ410 to Entebbe.

Let Kenya Airways know that it is not acceptable to call themselves 'the pride of Africa' and participate in the removal of Asylum Seekers from the UK or anywhere in the world.

Fax: 0178 488 8299 - from outside the UK + 44 1784 888 299

Please send urgent faxes immediately to Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Rebecca & Darren be granted protection in the UK. Please use the attached "model letter" (RebeccaJS.doc) you can copy/amend/write your own version (if you do so, please remember to include the HO ref: GLE/2045617).

Fax: 020 8760 3132(00 44 20 8760 3132 if you are faxing from outside UK)

Please let Unity know of any faxes sent:  theunitycentre@btconnect.com

Many thanks
The Unity Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
 theunitycentre@btconnect.com
 http://unitycentreglasgow.org/