Prisons refutes claims jailed MPs secretly met Museveni

The Uganda Prisons Service has refuted claims that the National Resistance Movement (NRM), MPs remanded to Luzira on corruption charges were recently secretly taken to State House to meet President Museveni.

Via his X (formerly Twitter) platform, lawyer Nicholas Opiyo alleged that two NRM MPs had been whisked away from detention to meet Museveni at State House for reasons he said had been unclear.

"Two NRM MPs charged and remanded to prisons on corruption charges were, allegedly, after their detention, secretly whisked from their detention at Luzira Prisons to meet the President at State House, Entebbe," Mr Opiyo, a human rights activist, posted on Monday.

"What the president was discussing with the two legislators is unclear but it certainly undercuts his public posture as a an anti-corruption crusader."

However, Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine said in a Tuesday statement that Opiyo's claims were false and unfounded.

"As Prisons, we categorically state that these allegations are false and unfounded," Baine said.

Quoting the Prisons Act of 2006 Section 5(A), Baine said there is no reason to parade NRM lawmakers in State House.

The Act requires the service to ensure that all persons lawfully detained in prisons are detained safely, securely and humanely and are tried where necessary until lawfully released or released from prison.

"Therefore, there is no reason whatsoever for prisoners to be produced at State House at any time of the day or night," Baine said.

The Prisons mouthpiece maintained that Opiyo's allegations are clearly intended to mislead the public for personal reasons, and that they should be totally disregarded.

It should be remembered that four NRM legislators were arrested and remanded to Luzira last month on corruption charges.

The arrested legislators included; Busiki County Member of Parliament Paul Akamba, Cissy Namujju the Lwengo Woman MP, Igara East MP Michael Mawanda and Elgon County Legislator Ignatius Mudimi.

Prosecutors accused the lawmakers of misappropriating about Shs3.4 billion for purposes unrelated to the to the purpose of the funds.

They are also charged with conspiring to defraud the Ugandan government, according to the indictment.

The legislators, who remain in custody, allegedly tried to persuade the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission to inflate the organisation's 2024/25 budget, in return for a 20-percent kickback.