The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Anita Among, has initiated plans for a special meeting with President Yoweri Museveni in response to new demands raised by Opposition legislators. The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, presented four key demands, including the unconditional release of political prisoners and the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the disappearance of 18 supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
Among the opposition’s demands is the establishment of a Select Committee within Parliament to investigate alleged cases of rape and defilement. Additionally, they call for the transfer of individuals facing unlawful trials before the Court Martial, despite such trials being prohibited by a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling.
Gen. David Muhoozi, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, responded to the Opposition’s demands by highlighting inconsistencies in the reported cases of disappeared persons. He mentioned challenges in investigations due to the refusal of next of kin to provide statements to the police. The Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi, committed to convening a meeting with top judiciary leadership to address cases exceeding the constitutional 48-hour remand requirement.
In light of these developments, Speaker Among proposed engaging President Museveni, citing concerns over prolonged detention and deferred a decision on the Opposition’s demands. She scheduled a meeting with the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission for the following week, aiming to involve her Deputy, Thomas Tayebwa, and the Leader of the Opposition in finding a resolution to the current impasse. The meeting seeks to discuss issues related to human rights, political prisoners, and the alleged disappearances of NUP supporters.
