Pressure is growing on parliamentary authorities as opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) once again staged a walkout in protest against what they see as government indifference towards human rights violations committed by security forces.
This marked the third such walkout in two weeks, and it comes after the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr. Mathias Mpuuga, presented a list of pressing issues that the House needs to address.
Among the demands made by Mr. Mpuuga were an extensive debate on human rights violations, a call for respect for Opposition leaders, and a government commitment to ending the violations of the rights of opposition leaders and supporters.
He emphasized that as long as harassment, torture, and extrajudicial killings of Opposition supporters persist, they will continue to expose these human rights abuses by State agents.
The Leader of Opposition highlighted the legislators’ allegiance to the Constitution and stated that they draw their authority from its provisions.
He called for accountability for the November 2020 killings, demanding to know what action has been taken against security personnel filmed firing live ammunition at unarmed citizens.
He also called for the release of political prisoners and accountability for killings by the military.
Mr. Mpuuga criticized the lack of justice for those shot dead during protests and urged the House to demand proper accounting and justice for the victims.
The walkout was prompted by a response from State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, stating that the government had previously addressed these issues.
The Leader of the Opposition contested this, emphasizing that all murders should not be blamed on Muslims and raising concerns about the treatment of Muslim individuals.
Other MPs, like Muhammad Nsereko, expressed their concerns about the marginalization of Muslims in the context of indiscriminate arrests and fear of law enforcement. The walkout reflects the ongoing tension between the Opposition and the government over these human rights issues.