President Museveni has vowed to grant pardons to select opposition supporters currently incarcerated in Ugandan jails.
His remarks came during the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers at State House Entebbe on Wednesday.
“We can look into the cases of people who were burning tires on our roads and those who beat up people,” stated Museveni, referring to supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) who engaged in violent acts during the 2021 general elections. “But those who are accused of capital offenses such as murder, it will be hard to set them free,” he added.
The president’s commitment to considering pardons was prompted by a plea from Ali Kateregga, an NUP Councilor from Masaka, who urged Museveni to release the suspects currently in detention. Kateregga also pledged his support to the ruling party.
In response, Museveni expressed willingness to pardon the suspects under the condition that they promise to refrain from engaging in criminal activities in the future.
He emphasized the government’s investment in infrastructure and the protection of Ugandans’ lives, stating that releasing suspects involved in violence comes at a cost to taxpayers.
The court martial recently released two of the 11 NUP supporters accused of engaging in terrorist activities during the violent 2021 general election. Opposition Members of Parliament have been boycotting parliamentary proceedings since October to demand the release of their supporters allegedly held by security forces.
Balaam Barugahara, the State Minister of Gender and Children Affairs, had earlier promised to approach the President with a plea to release all young individuals, especially those supporting the opposition, particularly NUP supporters currently detained.
Last year, former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga revealed that over 500 NUP supporters were arrested across the country on various charges.
Many were released after a year without trial. However, Mpuuga demanded accountability for the alleged deaths of 22 NUP supporters during the campaign trail of party president Robert Kyagulanyi in 2021.
“The relatives of the deceased are still reeling in bereavement with no hope of ever receiving justice for the death of their loved ones,” Mpuuga lamented, adding that several others have been missing for close to four years without any accountability from the government.
