LOP Mpuuga with Opposition MPs in Uganda at the stairs of Parliament after walking out of the session in protest, today Thursday
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
THOSE WHO thought this was a usual walk out of Parliament of Uganda by opposition members of Parliament, you need to read this!
Today’s walk out looks to be too painful to the ruling NRM government although they are the majority in the 11th Parliament.
Just a few minutes after Leader of Opposition ( LOP) led about 100 opposition Members of Parliament citing torture, continued arrests and kidnap of people in Uganda most especially supporters of the opposition, the Government Chief whip (GCW) Hon. Thomas Tayebwa tweeted how his government is going to look into opposition Members’ issues, “…and (we) respond accordingly).
Hon. Tayebwa has written, “Whereas it is a right of our colleagues in opposition to walk out of a parliamentary session, I feel there was still room for engagement in the issues they are raising. They have walked out on us but we won’t walk out on the them.”
While addressing members of Press at the Parliament stairs, LOP with MPs mostly from opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) have given NRM government an ultimatum if they are to return to Parliament or else, opposition takes action.
They have however not revealed to media, which action they will take if political prisoners are not released.
Responding to Tayebwa’s engagement, Hon. Mpuuga has said, “To the Hon GCW, how much waiting remedies torture, extortion, extra judicial killings and enforced disappearance of citizens! Who is being investigated or persecuted for the above crimes.”
However Hon.CGW has shot back, “My brother LOP, of course neither waiting nor walkouts remedy torture. I implore you to attend plenary on Tuesday as guided by Rt. Hon. Anita Among to receive statement from Government. You presented your case, we will make a comprehensive response. That is what civility demands.”
Political analysts now think, ruling Party is worried of opposition’s plan B, that is why they urgently want to engage them. Rubaga South MP Aloysius Mukasa has told us, they are ready to press on until Government releases all political prisoners in detention. He said, “We have been very peaceful and we thought NRM people will release our colleagues Hon. Muhammad Sseggirinya and Hon. Allan Ssewanyana and other political prisoners but it seems they wanted us to be more tough. Yes we will.”
This comes at a time when KCCA Speaker Hon. Zahara Luyirika and a group of Lord councilors who are members of NUP have today demonstrated in Kampala against unlawful activities of evicting Street vendors and hawkers, confiscation of their merchandise and brutally arresting many of them.
Police responded by arresting KCCA Speaker and her councilors.
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