Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, has called for the unconditional release of prisoners, including National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters, who have been held in custody beyond the constitutionally mandated 48 hours.
Mpuuga who was presenting a rejoinder to the statement by the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi, addressing alleged human rights abuses and the continued arrests of opposition leaders and supporters, urged the government to establish a Commission of Inquiry, chaired by a High Court Judge, to investigate the case of 18 missing NUP supporters who have been unaccounted for over two years.
“We believe that the Commission will be endowed with the authority, independence, and resources necessary to uncover the truth, to hold those responsible accountable, and to ensure that justice prevails,” Mpuuga said.
He dismissed Minister Muhoozi’s statement as a mere political narrative that failed to address the concerns raised by the Opposition, urging Parliament to reject it.
The Opposition also demanded the formation of a Select Committee to investigate issues such as rape, defilement, and unjustified arrests, as well as the transfer of individuals not subject to military law from the court martial to civil courts.
Minister of Information, Communications Technology, and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, rejected the call for a Commission of Inquiry, citing existing systems, including the Human Rights Commission.
Baryomunsi suggested that the Human Rights Commission and other security agencies could address the concerns if opposition leaders provided the necessary information.
In response to the Opposition’s demands, Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi promised to meet with top judiciary leaders, including the Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice, to review cases that have exceeded the constitutional 48-hour remand period.
Speaker Anita Among pledged to engage the President on the prolonged detention of suspects and deferred the determination of the Opposition’s demands until after a meeting scheduled with the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission on Monday.
The meeting, involving Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and the Leader of the Opposition, aims to address concerns about the commission’s capacity to handle the case of the missing persons.
“This Commission is so disabled in the circumstances to deal with this matter. It is conflicted and the Chairperson is partisan. I have, with my team, gone out of our way to establish how the Commission worked,” expressed Mpuuga, expressing doubt about the Uganda Human Rights Commission’s ability to effectively address the issue at hand.