The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has directed the Minister of Internal Affairs Gen. Jeje Odongo to table before the House the list of abducted people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Kadaga gave Odongo a Thursday ultimatum following queries from a section of Members of Parliament regarding the failure by security forces to release names of the abducted people.
Latif Ssebaggala, the Kawempe North MP said that while addressing the country two weeks ago, President Museveni admitted that the missing Ugandans were in the hands of security agencies and that their names will be released to the public.
“Madam Speaker, His Excellence assured Ugandans that the list of all missing Ugandans is going to be released…it’s now two weeks since the President addressed the nation. Up to now, we have not seen any list being released by Ministry of Internal Affairs, by Ministry of Defence,” said Ssebaggala.
He demanded that the Office of the Speaker intervenes in the matter so that relatives of the victims seek justice.
Kadaga said that the matter is an issue of violation of human rights and demanded the Minister of Defence Adolf Mwesige to make a response.
Mwesige told Parliament that all security agencies had complied with the directive of the President and handed over the list to Uganda Police Force.
“The Minister of Internal Affairs, Madam Speaker, is in a better position to come and address the House and release this list to the country,” he said.
His statement was dismissed by Ssebaggala saying that no names of the missing people have been availed by all security agencies and that many Ugandans are still searching for their relatives.
Joseph Ssewungu, the Kalungu West MP demanded that the Minister of Defence presents his known list as Parliament waits for the other list from the Uganda Police. But Speaker Kadaga said that it would be proper for Parliament to receive one harmonized list from the government.
Kadaga then directed that the Minister of Internal Affairs presents that full list of all those in Uganda People’s Defence Forces –UPDF as well as Uganda Police custody on Thursday 25th.
Moses Ali, the First Deputy Prime Minister said that the Speaker’s directive will be respected.
On Tuesday, the Uganda Police failed to release names of all abducted people at a press conference due to a disagreement with the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI).
Uganda Radio Network-URN learnt that top police leadership had demanded to have a look at all the suspects who have not been arraigned in courts of law.
Many of those detained allegedly participated in the November 18 and 19 protests which left 54 people dead. More people are said to have been abducted from that time to the election period and in his address recently, President Museveni confirmed that the army was holding over 200 suspects who he referred to as terrorists.
Museveni was declared the winner of the January 14th presidential election with 58 percent while his closest rival from the National Unity Platform-NUP Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bob Wine scored 35 percent.
Kyagulanyi recently shared the names of more than 250 people who he says are still under unlawful custody with the United Nations agency on human rights.
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