Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) have once again left the parliamentary session, demanding more information from the government regarding the incident involving Robert Kyagulanyi at Entebbe Airport and the alleged disruption of live streaming of parliamentary proceedings. Led by Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition in parliament, the MPs plan to return to the House on Thursday, where Mpuuga will provide a response to the government’s statement.
Mpuuga expressed frustration, saying, “We still find a constraint that the order paper is starting on a fresh page as if nothing has happened, and the recollection is that we had an inconclusive debate over the last two days.” This marks the second time in recent days that opposition MPs have walked out of the House, with their previous exit stemming from a demand for a government statement regarding the interception of Kyagulanyi, the National Unity Party president, upon his arrival at Entebbe International Airport on October 5, 2023, and the subsequent arrest of their leaders.
On Tuesday, the state minister of internal affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi, presented a statement to parliament explaining the events surrounding Kyagulanyi’s interception and the arrest of 14 NUP leaders on Independence Day. However, the statement was not debated after the House voted against the playing of a video footage intended for Mpuuga’s submission.
Mpuuga reiterated his side’s demand for the debate’s conclusion and added, “We are ready to play by the rules as long as there is respect from either side of the House.”
The opposition had returned to the House on Wednesday, hoping that Mpuuga would be granted an opportunity to conclude his submission, as the House had adjourned prematurely on the previous day.
Before leaving, the opposition MPs raised concerns about the presence of security operatives at parliament and sought an explanation from the parliamentary administration. The deputy speaker of Parliament denied knowledge of additional security inside parliament, stating that the extra security seen outside was deployed based on intelligence information regarding potential disturbances around parliament.
He further emphasized that no MP should react to the communication from the chair (presiding officer) and reminded MPs to adhere to the parliamentary rules of procedure.
Amidst the tensions, the parliament administration prevented journalists from accessing the press gallery and live broadcast feeds for television and YouTube on Wednesday.
