In response to protests by opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, emphasized the parliamentary right of free entry and exit without requiring permission from the presiding officer. He asserted that MPs could leave the session if they felt uncomfortable conducting parliamentary business.
The opposition MPs were protesting the continued arrest, kidnapping, and detention of their leaders’ supporters.
Deputy Speaker Tayebwa clarified that such matters should be discussed between the Leader of the Opposition and his office before a decision to walk out is made. He underscored that, as the presiding officer, he lacked the authority to prevent MPs from leaving the chambers.
The Deputy Speaker’s attempts to call for calm among the opposition, in order to allow the government to present a statement explaining the actions of security forces, were rejected by the opposition. This prompted him to remind the Leader of the Opposition and his group of their freedom to exit the chambers.
Acting Leader of the Opposition, Muwanga Kivumbi, who led the protest, stated that they would not continue attending Plenary sessions until the government provided an explanation for the arrests of their leaders and colleagues. He cited recent events, including the kidnapping of the Leader of the NUP, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, and the arrests of national leaders and youth associated with the party, as reasons for their protest. Kivumbi then left the session along with fellow opposition members.
