Opposition Demands Accountability Over Unanswered Questions on Murders & Abductions

KAMPALA – The Opposition has called on Parliament to address its potential complicity in the widespread murders, attributing it to the failure to demand accountability and justice for deceased Ugandans killed by State security agencies. The grieving relatives of the deceased are left without hope for justice, intensifying their bereavement.

Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition in the 11th Parliament of Uganda, raised these concerns during Thursday’s plenary sitting. Mpuuga highlighted the unanswered questions surrounding abductions, disappearances of Opposition supporters, and murders. He specifically demanded a comprehensive account of the November 2020 murders in Kampala and beyond.

This included an inquiry into the actions of Police 999 Patrol 17 and other instances where media and vigilant citizens captured occupants firing live ammunition at unarmed citizens, resulting in intentional killings of opposition supporters in dubious accidents.

Furthermore, Mpuuga called for accountability regarding the arrests of Muslim clerics and ordinary Muslims across the country, emphasizing the disproportionate representation of Muslims among the prisoners.

He also sought answers for the reported 18 disappeared Ugandans, as confirmed by the Uganda Human Rights Commission, and urged accountability for political prisoners languishing in jails without trial.

Mpuuga’s demands extended to the release of political prisoners held in the Court martial. He urged the Minister of Justice to appear before Parliament to provide details on detention without trial and accountability for military killings in various fishing communities.

In response, David Muhoozi, the State Minister for Internal Affairs, questioned the authenticity of the Opposition’s remarks. He found the claim that Muslims were being systematically targeted objectionable. Muhoozi dismissed the effort to gather support for the Opposition’s position, asserting that such statements lacked merit.

When Minister Muhoozi failed to provide new information on missing persons during the session, Opposition MPs walked out in protest. They expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s reluctance to commit to responding and providing accountability for human rights violations, including killings and abductions of Ugandans.

Muhammad Nsereko, in response to Muhoozi’s comments, emphasized the underrepresentation of Muslims in various sectors, including the judiciary. He asserted that no Muslim child should grow up fearing law enforcement due to collective punishment and indiscriminate arrests, despite the significant Muslim population.