Abed Bwanika to NUP leaders: Let’s stop cheap politics, we need to negotiate with Museveni to release all innocent political prisoners

Kimaanya Kabonera constituency Member of Parliament Dr Abed Bwanika has cautioned the leadership of National Unity Platform (NUP) to stop cheap politics and focus on saving their supporters who are in prison for political reasons.

Speaking to journalists over the weekend in Kampala, the two-time presidential candidate said it was time for his party leaders to stop politicking and sit on round table with President Museveni’s government to find a way on how all political prisoners can be released.

Bwanika revealed that since 2019, the state has been arresting a number of young people supporting the opposition and only a few have been released leaving the majority rotting in different detention centres across the country.

“Many youth who supported us are still incarcerated and I think it’s the right time now to meet the government and negotiate with them to release these innocent young people. There is nothing we have not done, we have boycotted Parliamentary settings, nothing has changed. Many of these young people are in a dire state, they need help, their families are also suffering. This is the high time we tried negotiations and stop cheap politics while other people, our own people are suffering,” the legislator said.

However, some party leaders and supporters have downplayed Bwanika’s suggestion alluding that NUP cannot seat with NRM government on the same table because it has violated human rights of Ugandans.

NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi who says there is no way, his party can seat at the same table with President Museveni who has intentionally tortured and killed Ugandans because of their political beliefs.

“What does he want us to negotiate about? The anti-torture law is very clear, does Hon Bwanika want us to go and kneel before President Museveni and say we are sorry for speaking against corruption, bad leadership and torture? We are not breaking any law, therefore, there is no need for negotiations whatsoever,” said Ssenyonyi.

Reacting to Ssenyonyi’s comment on Monday at Parliament, Bwanika revealed that he is ready to kneel before President Museveni if it will make him set free all innocent young people who have been incarcerated for over a year for political reasons.

“The lives of those innocent incarcerated youth, their families and relatives are as important as the struggle, we should not forget that. No wonder most people against this idea of negotiation are free and have not been incarcerated for over a year. I have had some people saying that if we negotiate with NRM we will lose credibility as a party, why should we focus on the credibility of the party at the expense of lives of innocent Ugandans who have been tortured for our sake, we are in these positions because of them,” he said.