Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has summoned Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire over the recent arrest of National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders.

The Police on Independence Day briefly arrested NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi, secretary general Lewis Rubongoya and a host of other leaders who had organised prayers for their missing relatives. The event was at the Party’s headquarters in Kamwokya, Kampala.

According to security, this was a preventive measure aimed at restraining the aforementioned and their supporters from engaging in acts of violence.

 “I want to inform the Prime Minister that tomorrow, I put you on the order paper to make a statement and I will share with you the copy of the letter which the Leader of Opposition has written to me. These are things which we always handle in this House and it’s from issues where we usually want to get more information,” Tayebwa directed during plenary on Wednesday.

He explained that the reason he didn’t deal with this subject matter was because the internal affairs minister was absent with permission.

“So, I found it impossible for me to call on the minister just to come and give a casual response when serious issues are being raised. I am glad that indeed they followed this route so we shall have the statement tomorrow,” he added.  

The directive comes in the wake of a move by Opposition MPs to boycott plenary proceedings.

On Tuesday this week, it is understood that the legislators, led by the stand-in Leader of Opposition (LOP) Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, stormed out the chambers in protest, a move LOP Mathias Mpuuga says they are not about to rescind.

According to him, this was a stop-gap measure aimed at driving some sense into ruling party leaders who are happy about the disrespect and desecration of NUP offices.

“We are here to demand from the Government a statement on the floor of the House and that statement must bear an apology, commitment and undertaking that those actions will not be repeated because they have no space in law and common sense,” Mpuuga said.