Committee to meet Museveni, Kyagulanyi over rights violations

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights plans to interact with major Presidential candidates as it investigates concerns of rights violations during elections.

The Committee was tasked by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to take stock of violations that marred the electoral process. It is expected to report back within a month. As part of the investigation, the committee is planning to interact with Presidential candidates, securities agencies, among the police and the army, as well as victims of the said violations. 

Committee Chairperson Janepher Egunyu Nantume told URN in an interview today that they have made arrangements to meet President Yoweri Museveni as the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate in the just-concluded race. Also on the list are other candidates; Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and officials of the Uganda Human Rights Commission. 

The MPs are expected to meet the President from Statehouse, while the other candidates will be expected to appear during a committee sitting at Parliament. Egunyu says that they will try as much as possible to meet all the key candidates if time allows since they have only a month. 

She says that any Ugandan who was a victim of the said brutality is free to contact the committee in regards to the violation of the rights. The committee started its work officially today but will start the interaction with the stakeholders from next week.

Security blocked most of Kyagulanyi’s campaigns as they reportedly failed to observer the standard operating procedures on COVID-19. In November last year, over 50 Ugandans were killed following protests in Kampala, that were sparked off by Kyagulanyi’s arrest in Luuka District. 

Until last week, Kyagulanyi has been confined in his home in Wakiso district in what security said was a move to prevent him from causing violence. 

FDC’s Amuriat meanwhile was arrested on the first day of campaigns and continued to spend several other nights in jail for violating standard operating procedures on COVID-19.

On Tuesday this week, the Minister of Internal Affairs Gen Jeje Odongo is expected to present a statement on the rights violations during elections.   .

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URN