Opposition MPs protest continued violation of human rights

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of the Opposition in Parliament protested the continued violation of rights of Ugandans by staging a walkout from the plenary session.

The MPs led by the Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, on Thursday, 03 February 2022 asked the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among to suspend the House until the Government provides answers on the continued detention without trial of Ugandans, torture and disappearances.

Mpuuga said that they have on several occasions raised the matter of incarceration of their colleagues, Muhammad Ssegirinya, the Kawempe North MP and Allan Ssewanyana, the Makindye West MP without trial in vain.

“The tortured victims have been witnessed and while that is going on, the state actors are unable to explain the killings that are illegal and extrajudicial, the disappearance and torture of citizens, those we have seen, known and those unseen. That is taking place in all parts of the country,” said Mpuuga.

Mpuuga said that as a leader who listens to people’s complaints in regards to those missing, they cannot attend the sittings of Parliament. He said that they will boycott Parliament for two weeks until the Government answers their concerns and demanded that the Speaker suspends the House.

“We have given Government a lot of time and they are taking us for granted. Just imagine that after the pictures of the tortured Ugandans, it takes the Speaker to demand Government to make a statement; are we dealing with serious leaders?”, he said.

Earlier, Among had appealed to the Opposition to allow the government time to present a comprehensive statement on the matter on Tuesday, 08 February 2022. But this fell on deaf ears as the Opposition said, as they wait for Tuesday, more Ugandans will disappear or get tortured.

“There was an issue that was raised in this House about torture and the missing people. The list was laid on the table and we need an explanation from the Attorney General on the whereabouts of the missing people and what the government is doing to have these people released. We gave you two weeks and the two weeks end on Tuesday,” said Among.

However, Mpuuga continued to demand that the plenary sitting be suspended until the government provides accountability for the disappearance of citizens and detention without trial.

Mpuuga then led members of the Opposition out of the Chamber to the Parliament stairs where they sat and addressed the media.