By Frank M.Gashumba
First it was Frank Gashumba, Founder of Sisimuka Uganda, who was arbitrarily arrested and confined for two solid weeks in the dreaded Kireka based Special Investigations Unit(SIU).
Gashumba was detained along with his brother Innocent, whom he (Gashumba) had sought to rescue from CMI but both ended up being illegally detained for weeks without being charged in the courts of law.
Fast forward, Simpson Birungi, one of the biggest local investors,who is actually one of the five biggest employers and tax payers in Uganda, was on June 7, 2018 ‘abducted’, and for 16 days, he has been in detention by state organs in total disregard of the laws of the land.
Birungi, the proprietor of Movit Products Ltd, a company worth over 200 Billion which employs over 3500 Ugandans deserves some respect, not because he is above the law, but to at least let him be taken to court to read him his alleged charges.
Regardless of accusations labelled against him, Birungi is still innocent until proven guilt, period!
It’s such a pity our MPs were busy clapping and chest thumping when Gen. Museveni declared himself the Alpha and Omega of the law by ordering the police and the judiciary to forthwith stop releasing suspects on bond and bail respectively.
Hardly a few days after Museveni’s directive, Hon. Betty Bakireke Nambooze has become the first victim of his illegal order.
Museveni and NRM need to be reminded that giving a suspect a police bond or bail does not exonerate him or her from crime.
Museveni’s order is not only illegal but a dangerous precedent for some unscrupulous person(s). This move can frame others for their political or other selfish ends with the aim of keeping them in jail without chance of being released on a bond or bail.
If Birungi, the CEO of Movit, a regional brand sold in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, DRC, Burundi, and Zambia can be arrested and detained incommunicado, then how about you an ordinary soul!
And even when a Justice of the high court orders for his release and his order is flagrantly ignored, we all have to be worried.
No one is safe! If only our MPs would be wise enough to draw a lesson from the predicaments of their colleague Hon Nambooze and an investor, Birungi, then they should have woken up yesterday to stand up to Gen Museveni and oppose his arbitrary order.
Who knew General Kale Kayihura would languish in jail for several weeks on Museveni’s order albeit his selfless contribution to this regime’s grip to power?
Kale was the alert officer against Museveni’s political opponents.
If Museveni can treat Kayihura, a bush war General and his most trusted lieutenant and enforcer this way, what about you a sorry MP whose constituency is not even on the Google map???
No one is safe. When a plane loses control, all passengers and the crew are potential candidates for body bags. The analogy here is that not even NRM cadres, MPs, Ministers and security chiefs are safe.
Actually, my impeccable sources confided in me that much as Gen. Kayihura was not popular in the army because of overzealousness, a few individuals in the security circles are celebrating his detention without trial.
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