National Unity Platform (NUP) lawyer also Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Muwada Nkunyingi has claimed that blogger Fred Lumbuye is still in Turkey and was never deported to Uganda as State Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Okello Oryem alleges.
In his Facebook post on Thursday, Nkunyingi said he had a serious engagement with Mr Oryem together with his boss Gen Abubaker Jeje Odongo to substantiate their statements regarding the whereabouts of the Turkey based Ugandan blogger who was arrested over two weeks ago from the European country.
“Minister Okello Oryem denied all his earlier media statements and All Foreign Ministers Confirmed to me & to the Foreign Affairs Committee’ of Parliament that LUMBUYE IS STILL IN TURKEY . They claim negotiations are going on with Interpol and Turkey but have not succeed yet,” Nkunyingi who is also Uganda’s Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister in Parliament said.
” I have also raised many aspects concerning our Nationals Abroad including passport issue and will at later date share their full responses and our next strategy in pushing many of these issues forward,” he added.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday Minister Oryem in a veiled revelation confirmed that Lumbuye was being held by Ugandan security authorities.
The minister made the disclosure during an interview with NTV Uganda.
“As far as I know, people shouldn’t be worried about Lumbuye and the relevant authorities with the right time will be able to bring him in public and bring him into courts of law,” Oryem said.
“I don’t think Lumbuye should be made a matter or somebody who is so so important as a film star. His rights are being respected wherever he is I’m sure so. There’s nothing to worry about Lumbuye. People should go around trying to look for their survival, work hard, look after their families but not to worry about Lumbuye.” he added.
Over the weekend, it was reported that Lumbuye was being held at Gulu Airforce Base in Northern Uganda.
The Observer Newspaper said the arrested controversial blogger landed at Entebbe International Airport on 8 August, 2021 but the airport manifest for August 7-8 was allegedly confiscated by Special Forces Command (SFC).
According to security sources, Lumbuye arrived in the country aboard Turkish Airlines, which touched down at Entebbe International Airport on Saturday at around 3 am.
He was held at the police station in the passenger terminal for two hours where he was interrogated and whisked off to Kampala. Multiple security sources say that Lumbuye was escorted by Turkish security operatives who took him through immigration and the police station for clearance.
He was taken to the Turkish Embassy for further management until when he was handed over officially to the government.
“Fred Lumbuye is reportedly being held at Gulu Airforce base in northern Uganda as security continues to hunt for 11 of his alleged conspirators who ‘were feeding him with state secrets,” The Observer stated last Saturday.
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