The former Senior Presidential Press Secretary Joseph Tamale Mirundi has said that the long detention of Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe north MP) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West West) is a clear message to the opposition that President Yoweri Museveni’s government can do whatever it wants to them.
Speaking about the release of the two lawmakers on Tuesday on his, Mirundi said most Members of Parliament from the opposition always think that President Museveni fears them, and think they can do whatever they want because they have immunity as legislators, however, Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana are an example that Museveni can do anything to anyone regardless of his or her portfolio.
“The long detention of these two MPs is a government’s achievement. It has destroyed this myth of impunity especially done by most members of the opposition and this is a warning to everybody, how long have they stayed in detention? They now know that no matter your portfolio if Museveni wants you in, he will surely put you in,” the veteran journalist said.
He added that the members of the opposition should not think that it was their pressure on the government that led to the release of Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana, however, they were released because the state had lost interest in their case since machete-wielding gang killings in Masaka had stopped.
“Government had lost interest in the case why? Because the Machete-wielding gangs had stopped and Parliament thought it could finish this case by politics not knowing they were forcing Museveni to show them who has power. If Museveni can put laws on Kabaka then who are these poor MPs? There is no revolutionary leader who can tolerate this thing called immunity for MPs because the moment he does that he will lose power. So this is a great milestone for Museveni. They thought they will use publicity to intimidate Museveni but he has showed them,” he said.
The two lawmakers were arrested one and half years ago following the troubles that stemmed from a spate of killings in the greater Masaka area in which machete-wielding gangs targeted mainly elderly residents.
In September 2021, the duo was summoned by police for interrogation on the issues of killings in Masaka, however, they were not allowed to return home; instead they were taken before now-retired Chief Magistrate Charles Yeteise and they were charged with three counts of murder and attempted murder allegedly committed in two hamlets of Masaka City.
They denied charges and were sent to prison on a remand where they have been for 17 months until on Monday when they granted them bail. Although the law requires suspects in criminal cases to be granted bail automatically if held on remand for six months, in the case of Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana it was not possible because the state denied bail to the accused multiple times.
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