Speaker Among Pressured to Address Alleged Rights Violations

(Kampala) – Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Semujju Nganda has petitioned Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among to address what he describes as escalating human rights abuses in Uganda. During the plenary session on Wednesday, October 23, Semujju highlighted ongoing legal battles and recent arrests that, he argues, reflect a troubling trend.

The complaint stems in part from a recent protest in August when Semujju, along with 13 others including MPs Francis Mwijukye and Dr. Nicholas Kamara, was detained during a march to the Kenyan embassy. The group was delivering a note protesting the arrest of 36 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) activists in Kisumu, Kenya, on charges related to terrorism. Semujju expressed his frustration over the frequent court appearances required for those involved in such protests, saying, “We are now actually reporting to court almost twice a month.”

He recalled a commitment by the Attorney General to brief Parliament on why he and two other MPs were “roughed up like chicken thieves” during the August incident.

Semujju also criticized the government’s handling of National Unity Platform (NUP) members, mentioning that “16 NUP members were coerced by the army to plead guilty for offenses they did not commit.” He pointed to further grievances involving other detained opposition figures.

Directing his message toward the National Resistance Movement (NRM) lawmakers, Semujju warned that “militarized politics” could eventually affect them as well, noting an incident involving the Fort Portal mayor, an NRM member, who was allegedly targeted.

In response, Internal Affairs State Minister Gen. David Muhoozi said the issues raised by Semujju were complex and under judicial review, stating, “All these matters are in court. Maybe what I can do is to find out how far the matter is in court and then come back and give a report.”

Adding to the discussion, Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi called on Youth Affairs Minister Balaam Barugahara to update Parliament on promises he made to secure the release of detained NUP members shortly after taking office. “He said he would take the law into his own hands to ensure that people are freed,” Ssenyonyi explained, urging for an official report on Barugahara’s efforts so far.

Speaker Among declined an NRM procedural order to halt the discussion, responding that it was her responsibility to rule on whether issues were sub judice, noting, “The member is just asking something simple: to understand where these people are and how they are being treated.” She instructed the government to report back with updates on these matters within two weeks.