The Leader of Opposition (LoP), Joel Ssenyonyi has asked the government to come clean on who exactly commandeered the brutality inflicted on journalists and opposition supporters during the Kawempe North by-election.
The by-election concluded last week was marred by brutal assault on journalists and arrest of supporters belonging to the opposition by security personnel.
Appearing before the House on Thursday, Ssenyonyi expressed dismay that while the Speaker had previously tasked the government to give its position on the incidents witnessed during the by-election, nothing had been done.
"The situation got worse, it is as if the matters raised here and the task you gave them was taken for granted, the situation got more precarious. Our candidate in that race was assaulted, our leaders, our supporters were brutalised, including on elections day. Journalists weren’t spared. They were badly beaten, others were abducted, they were taken in drones, only to be dumped with injuries,” Ssenyonyi said.
The LoP also demanded government clarification on statements made by some Government officials that the brutality witnessed was self-inflicted by the opposition.
“I saw the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, Minister Minsa Kabanda and Minister Balaam Barugahara out there say we in the Opposition are responsible, we did these things to ourselves, we hurt ourselves, that we beat the journalists, some ridiculous statements. I don’t know if that is the position of Government,” Ssenyonyi said.
He tasked the government government to provide a response to Parliament on who was responsible for the brutality inflicted on journalists and citizens witnessed during the by-election.
"Can we know, who commandeered this? Who commandeered the brutalising of leaders, citizens, the candidate in the race, and journalists who were simply doing their job? Who is responsible for this?” Ssenyonyi asked.
In response, David Bahati, Minister of State for Industries while speaking on behalf of Government declined to comment on the violence in Kawempe stating that the State’s position had been made by the President.
“I was expecting a different statement from the Leader of Opposition, but now that he hasn’t said it, the President issued a statement regarding the situation in Kawempe and I am not adding a word to that,” said Bahati.
In his statement in regards to what transpired in during Kawempe by-election, President Museveni, last week directed a “criminal and electoral investigation” into the matter, saying a number of issues did not move right.
He also commented about the violence meted out against journalists by security personnel but said an investigation into the same was being conducted.
The President, however defended the deployment of the UPDF during the by-election
“However, the Original question should be: “Why should the UPDF and JATT have to be deployed in crowd management?” Uganda is like an island of peace in the Region. Why? It is because of the UPDF. They have enough work fighting ADF, the cattle-rustlers in Karamoja, Kony in Central African Republic (CAR), al-shabaab in Somalia, etc. There, they shoot to kill. That is why night club goers can dance the whole night in peace. Why, then, do they get diverted to deal with crowds? It is because of the indiscipline of some opposition groups.” Museveni said.
A number of journalists covering the Kawempe by-election were assaulted and others' equipment destroyed.
The assault on journalists left some including Next Media's Francis Isano badly injured and hospitalised.