The Minister for Security, Hon. Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi, has promised to present a statement explaining the Monday arrest of two opposition Forum for Democratic Change legislators together with other party leaders.
Muhwezi, who promised to present the statement in two weeks, was responding to concerns raised by one of the two legislators, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju (Kira Municipality), arrested alongside Hon. Nicholas Kamara (Kabale Municipality) and 12 FDC party leaders.
“Yesterday we were brutally arrested as we were taking a protest note to the Kenyan High Commission because of our colleagues who were kidnapped from Kenya, only to be met by angry policemen. When I raised this matter here last week, the Attorney General said they cannot explain,” said Ssemujju during the plenary sitting presided over by Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, on Tuesday 6 August 2024.
Ssemujju challenged the charges imposed on them upon their arrest.
“I and the Hon. Kamara and the 12 were charged with being a public nuisance. Two MPs of our calibre being a public nuisance yet we were going to deliver a protest note to the Kenyan [High Commission]?” he said.
He reiterated his demand that government explains the manner in which 36 FDC leaders were arrested in Kisumu, Kenya last Tuesday, and have since been charged with terrorism in Ugandan courts before being remanded to Luzira prison.
He also called for an explanation on the mistreatment of the legislators by security forces.
The Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, reiterated the Security Minister’s commitment to investigate the arrests and bring feedback on the matter to Parliament.
Meanwhile, Hon. Paulson Luttamaguzi (DP, Nakaseke South County), has raised concerns over the disparities in salary enhancements for police officers, saying that only some of them benefited from the increment.
The State Minister for Public Service, Hon. Mary Mugasa, clarified that the 25 per cent salary enhancement is based on the budgetary allocation to the Uganda Police Force.
Deputy Speaker, Tayebwa, asked the Minister to present a detailed statement on the matter, on Wednesday, 07 August 2024.