Lumbuye’s arrest is a cause for worry for govt critics abroad, says NUP’s Rubongoya

The National Unity Platform(NUP) Secretary General, Lewis Rubongoya has said government critics abroad have something to worry about if the arrested social media critic, Fred Lumbuye is extradited.

Lumbuye was reportedly arrested as he went to the Ugandan Embassy in Turkey to renew his passport and according to reports, he is set to be extradited to face several charges back home in Uganda.

However, commenting about the matter, on Thursday, Rubongoya said whereas Lumbuye could have committed any crimes, but returning home to faces charges would be nasty.

“We are not saying that Fred Lumbuye is a perfect person. We are not even saying that he has not made some mistakes in the course of his work. All we are saying is that he should not be handed over to a criminal regime which is well known for torturing critics! All we are saying is that he is a known critic of the regime in Uganda and  the regime has been baying for his blood. To deport him would be to sentence him to death,”Rubongoya tweeted on Thursday.

He insisted that whereas the National Unity Platform does not entire agree with some of Lumbuye’s actions, returning him home would not solve the matters but rather make them worse.

“In fact, we do not necessarily agree with everything he does. All we are saying is that if Fred Lumbuye is handed over to the regime in Kampala that will send shock and fear within Ugandan dissidents and political activists everywhere in the world.”

Lumbuye has made a name for his social media accounts including facebook and you tube to attack several persons including government officials back home in Uganda.

He has on several occasions been involved in spreading the news of the death of several dignitaries including the Kabaka in 2020.

The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem on Wednesday said Lumbuye is not above the law, noting that Ugandans should celebrate his arrest.

“Anybody who commits a crime in any country whatsoever will pay the price for committing crime, that person you are talking about is not special. Who is he to think that he is above the law,”Oryem said.

“Every one of you would be jubilating that this person (Lumbuye) committed a crime and he has been arrested and is being brought before the courts of law but it seems like you are sympathising with him.”

President Museveni recently directed security to look for people who announced him dead.

“Social media apparently has been saying that Museveni is dead. The other day when I went to that side of Bombo to lay a foundation people were looking at me (with shock) because they had been told by social media that Museveni is dead or something like that,” Museveni said last month.

“The security service needs to also solve that problem.  I need to check with them so that we locate quickly those who tell such a story because you waste people’s time. We should go for you. We should locate where you are and go for you. If you’re in Europe, we denounce you and say go to hell.”