MP Kyagulanyi to face court martial
The First Deputy Prime Minister, Gen. Moses Ali, has told Parliament that Kyaddondo East MP, Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, is to be charged in the General Court Martial in Gulu on Thursday for allegedly being found with a gun.
The legislator was arrested Monday following the chaos and confrontation with security during the by-election campaigns in Arua Municipality.
The other MPs arrested together with over 25 persons will appear before the Gulu Chief Magistrates Court on the same day, Thursday 16 August 2018.
The MPs are: Hon. Gerald Karuhanga (Ind., Ntungamo Munic.), Paul Mwiru (FDC, Jinja Munic. East) and Francis Zaake (Ind., Mityana Munic.). Also in custody is one of the candidates in the Arua Municipality MP race, Kassiano Wadri (Ind.,) and former Makindye East MP, Michael Mabikke.
Moses Ali’s statement to Parliament followed a one-hour suspension of the plenary sitting of the House so that government explains the whereabouts of the MPs.
“The allegations of torture are not true. The [detained MPs and persons] are accessible to family and lawyers,” Gen. Moses Ali said.
Before the one-hour suspension, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Betty Aol (FDC, Gulu district), said it would not be proper for the House to continue without information about their colleagues.
“If this is the case, I ask my members to move out to go and look for our colleagues,” she said adding that “In the event that the Prime Minister does not have the information [about the detained MPs] I am left with no option but to move a motion that this House be suspended, and we go and look for our colleagues.”
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga joined in, asking government, which was represented by Gen. Moses Ali, in the absence of the ministers of Security and Internal Affairs, where the MPs were being detained.
“Where are our colleagues [and] where are they being detained? I want the ministers of Security and Internal Affairs here,” she said.
Parliament also resolved to send a team to observe the proceedings in both the military court and Chief Magistrates Court and then inform the House.
The team includes Hon. Doreen Amule (NRM, Amolatar district) and Hon. Jovah Kamateeka (NRM, Mitooma district), the Chairpersons of the House committees on Defence and Internal Affairs and Human Rights respectively. Others are Hon. Allan Ssewanyana (DP, Makindye West), Hon. Andrew Baryayanga (Ind., Kabale Munic.), Medard Ssegonna (DP, Busiro East) and Jacob Oboth (Ind., West Budama South).
However Hon. Robert Centenary (FDC, Kasese Munic.) and Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi (DP, Butambala) opposed the idea of observing proceedings of Kyagulanyi, a civilian, being arraigned before the Court Martial.
Kivumbi said that Kyagulanyi had been arrested from a hotel but possessed no firearm, while Wadri, a former MP for Terego, in Arua district had a pistol, which he had legally acquired.
“Parliament cannot witness a breach of the Constitution. If we observe the proceedings, we will be making a horrible mistake to allow a civilian to be court martialled,” said Kivumbi.
Centenary proposed that Kyagulanyi also be presented before the Chief Magistrates Court, which can inform him of the severity of his crime to require the Court Martial.