
“There is no amount of legislation that can atone for murders and disappearances, whether we are able to legislate and pass a bill on a daily basis, while the targeted beneficiaries of these legislations are being abused by Government and some of them are killed, then we are legislating in a void and we can never claim to be serious legislators” (…) “Lawmaking and legislation must be consequential and we can’t engage in inconsequential actions as legislators from the opposition, therefore, I want to assure Ugandans that these demands are legitimate and they constitute a top priority for us as the Opposition” – Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga (26.10.2023).
As the National Resistance Movement or the Government of Uganda wants the world to believe. That nothing shady or murky is going on. That the opposition is only making up fictional tales and has records of missing persons, but they are never revealed or re-appearing. There are unknown amount of people associated with the opposition that is kept incommunicado or without trial as political prisoners.
The “drones” or “panda gari’s” comes in the shadows and without warrants. The security agents just picks up people and take them away to unknown destinations. While family and friends has no clus for why. They are partaking in politics and activism, and that’s the sole reason for their demise. This is the state and how the authorities operates. People are gone for years without proper court cases, put in trial sometimes by court martial and some left in the dungeons (“safe-houses”). That is a well known “secret” and ungazetted ones are there too.
The security agencies are operating in the shadows and are happy to oblige to orders. Heck, reports are that high ranking officials that is offended or displeased with citizens has paid of agents to kidnap and silence critics. That’s how the system works now and the law enforcement is happy to do the dirty work.
Therefore, the words of Mpuuga is needed to be said. The boycott was necessary, but calling it off before anything substantial was done by the NRM is futile. The Deputy Speaker gave Gen. David Muhoozi a month to come and address the Parliament again. Meaning the Minister and General can ease off and have bought him time. In such time that people forget this and hope another scandal arrives. While the political prisoners continues to linger in prisons or dungeons like they currently do.
The LoP is in between a rock and a hard place. He has little to no space to manoeuvre, as the minority and it has little consequences what he does. That’s why the government spokesperson and others call it drama. I understand that… when they are so softly returning to the plenary and the boycott called off so quickly. The leader of the opposition could at least tried a bit longer and piled on the pressure.
Yes, his statements and addresses in parliament is fine. However, the NRM, the authorities and the “high above” won’t care. They will continue like yesterday and the yesteryears. There is no reason for them to stop. This system is functioning and the ones suffering is the dissidents. The elite and the ones eating don’t mind. They are not seeing the price and the sacrifices. These are only enjoying the perks and privileges of being on “top”. So, why should they bother about the dark side?
Well… Mpuuga is in a battle he cannot win. The NUP and the other opposition parties is in the same realm. The authorities and the NRM can just play around and continue with their persistent impunity and injustice. That’s what they do and that’s what keep the regime alive. Peace.










