Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | On Thursday 4, April 2024, Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Parliament, submitted a list of detained without trial and missing National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters to the Parliament, as requested by Dr. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs.
“I seek your indulgence so that for the umpteenth time, I table those lists again so that there be no excuse from anybody because there are people who are saying NUP isn’t availing these lists. It is good that they now agree with us that these people are simply being persecuted,” said Ssenyonyi.
However, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa raised concerns about Ssenyonyi’s choice of words. Tayebwa argued that when Dr. Balaam Barugahara requested the list of missing persons on Wednesday 3, April 2024, he was not pretending but was genuinely conducting official business as a Minister, and his intentions were sincere.
“These are lists you gave to government officials and he (Balaam) hadn’t received any prior copies of those lists,” Tayebwa explained.
In response, Joel Ssenyonyi reiterated the importance of Parliament providing orientation for new members. He argued that if Dr. Balaam Barugahara had received training on Parliamentary affairs, he would have known how and where to access the lists within Parliament.
“Yesterday, when I mentioned the issue of orientation, some people though it was in bad faith, we all do need it. When I got here in Parliament, we had to be oriented and we continue to learn. So, it is a good thing that when new members do join us and there is information that they require, they should be helped how to access it. Like you have rightly said, we tabled those lists severally and so, they are within the records,” said Ssenyonyi.
The discussion prompted Barnabas Tinkasimire (Buyaga West) to seek clarification on whether Minister Balaam was pursuing amnesty for these individuals through the Amnesty Commission. Tinkasimire questioned why Parliament was being involved in the discussion of missing NUP supporters.
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Meanwhile, Maurice Kibalya (Bugabula South) urged Ssenyonyi and NUP not to politicize the matter any further.
“In most occasions when somebody moves towards getting a solution, now you see the Party coming in, people trying to play politics here and there,” said Kibalya.
The debate underscored persistent concerns regarding the treatment of NUP supporters and Parliament’s responsibility in addressing these concerns.
