KAMPALA: Today Opposition MPs led by the Leader of Opposition(LOP) Mathias Mpuuga protested the arrests at plenary chaired by the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Olanyah.
Close to 100 legislators clad in white T-shirts with printed pictures of the 2 Legislators with the word ‘FREEDOM’ at the front stormed out of the house shortly after the house resumed in the afternoon following a ten minute’s adjournment.
Buhweju County MP, Francis Mwijukye interjected a report from the PM Hon Robinnah Nabbanja on the arrest of the Mps .Nabbanja was giving the house an update on the status quo.
Mwijukye said: ‘‘I saw on TV Hon Ssegirinya being kidnapped or re-arrested, and he was crying,Afande I am sick, yet he was being bundled onto that vehicle, now the PM is saying they have Ssegirinya and will be getting a statement from him but the man has not been taken to the hospital,yet we heard him crying on camera.”
Speaker Oulanyah said there are things that should be avoided since the Constitution is clear about processes and procedures.
He stated”Why flaunt them? because when you do we end up like this.Can we just do things right ,the biggest problem we have in this country are technical people stepping down directives from top officials of government instead of assessing what can be done within the law they just rush and do it . Just follow the law and you are safe”
The Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka said that it was an error on the part of the government not to inform the Office of the Speaker but everything is being done to make sure that the legislators are treated within the law.
“The two colleagues are going to be presented in court…and they can go back as many times, as the offences they commit,” Kiryowa said.
This angered the LOP Mpuuga immediately led the opposition MPs out of the Chambers in protest , prior to their depature Mps started distributing T-shirts and wearing them in the chambers.
Oulanyah reacted:“But am not in any disagreement with the act of walking out, I have no problem with that because the option would be to stay and become problematic. So, I applaud the Leader of Opposition that he has led his team out of the Chambers of this House without any drama…with the exception of change of dress code of this House. I applaud him for that,” said Oulanyah.
**galaxy
