NUP demands quick investigations and trial of its MPs

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | National Unity Platform-NUP has demanded for quicker investigations and trial of the two detained party members of parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana implicated in the Masaka killings.

On Tuesday, the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court charged the Kawempe North Member of Parliament Muhammed Ssegirinya and the Makindye West legislator Allan Ssewanyana with murder before they were remanded to Kitalya prison.

The duo were accused of having a hand in the recent spate of killings in Masaka sub-region that left close to 30 people dead. They were charged with four counts, three of murder and one of attempted murder.

Speaking to journalists at National Unity Platform party headquarters in Kamwokya, Mathias Mpuuga, the leader of opposition in Parliament said that even in the past incidents whenever security agencies failed in getting real murders, the incidents were twisted to be political.

Mpuuga explains that in the same situation, it is opposition members who are always implicated to be behind such organized criminal actions even without evidence in order to tarnish their image in public.

“Our party is not violent or murderous, security has been using the same tactics in the past to tarnish opposition members,” Mpuga said. “Not a single group or any suspect was prosecuted in the first bijambiya spate in Masaka during the regime of Gen Kayihura. What happened?”

He added, “The country still remembers those suspects and their confessions subsequently that they were coached by security operatives. We want to remind the country that we’re still the same country with the same rulers. And we’re very observant of their latest maneuvers.”

Last month while speaking on the Masaka killings, President Museveni said the killings were being orchestrated by people in political positions in the country. He said there was enough evidence connecting the murder to political actors.

But Mpuuga has said as NUP, they have no criminal actions against people who massively voted them in the past elections, adding that they don’t intend to involve in any violence because they chose to take the path of civility.

He further demanded for the trial of NUP members still in detention without being brought to courts of law.

Dr Rena Zedriga, the vice president of National Unity Platform-NUP Northern Uganda condemned the consistent arrests by security agencies before gathering evidence against suspects. She says the investigations should be complete before any arrest is done.

“Investigations must be completed before arresting people and remanding them to Kitalya and they start to say they’re still gathering evidence, we call upon the government to speed-up the process of delivering justice this time to our members of parliament.”

The Kampala woman Member of Parliament Shamim Malende said they are still pushing for their bail applications.

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