Kasese Municipality Member of Parliament Robert Franco Centenary has warned Internal Affairs Minister Gen Abubaker Jeje Odongo that the power, the NRM government is using to brutalise Ugandans will not always be in their hands.
Centenary’s bitterness follows a report read by Gen Jeje on Ugandans regarding the missing Ugandans who were allegedly abducted by security organs during the recent electioneering period.
While presenting the report on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, Gen Odongo informed the House that over 365 missing people’s whereabouts are not known. He added that they have few detainees and some of them have been released.
Gen Odongo’s statement left very many members including Speaker Rebecca Kadaga wondering whether the 365 people are dead or alive.
Reacting to the minister’s statement, Centenary asked him to have remorse because the detained people have families too.
“Don’t you think these people you are detaining have families that are suffering? They have children, wives, parents and that they are traumatized. They are looking forward to see their people whether dead or alive. Why don’t you pity these people?” he cautioned.
“Do you (Gen. Jeje Odongo) ever think that this power you are using and misusing to arrest, kidnap and detain people arbitrarily, will one day shift to another force and that this very power can be used against you?”
Centenary further expressed concern over civilians being tried in Court Martial.
“My other disappointment is arraigning civilians in Court Martial. Why do you apply double standards, Uganda is supposed to be a democratic country. Court Martials were created for soldiers, specifically the UPDF. Why do you subject civilians to a military court?” he inquired.
Gilbert Oulanya, MP for Kilak South also informed Gen Odongo that many people have disappeared in this country, and many are still disappearing up to now but the list he presented is too small compared to reports of people missing.
“The President made a statement sometime back, that he will not preside over a country where people disappear, yet no one knows where those people are, so who has them?”
Kadaga also said that the brutality meted on Ugandans by the security forces has made Uganda to be ranked among those countries with high levels of human rights abuses.
“I want to appeal to my government to act with restraint in some of these issues. You know it is very painful when your country is cited in international bodies as violating Human Rights; I want to appeal that we act with restraint.”
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