Mityana Diocese Bishop Dr Ssalongo James Bukomeko and Buganda Kingdom minister in charge of lands housing and urban development Owekitiibwa David Kisitu Mpanga have strongly condemned the abduction and humiliation of former Kampala City Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago.
Bukomeko said that a number of Ugandans including religious leaders and cultural leaders are scared of the ongoing impunity being orchestrated by people dressed in military uniform armed with guns and other weapons noting that there are telling signs that the country is going back to the dark days of president Idi Amin and Dr Milton Obote.
“When President Museveni was campaigning to be voted as president of Uganda, he didn’t tell us that he was going to be helped to run this country. Those close to the President should tell him that Ugandans are scared concerning what is going on where we are seeing people with guns abducting people, torturing them and posting their humiliating photos on social media, this is not the Uganda we fought for,” Bukomeko said.
He encouraged other religious leaders, cultural leaders and opinion leaders not to be silent when Ugandans are being abducted, tortured and killed insisting that such a situation is not good for anyone and they should all raise up to condemn it.
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“For me, I am ready to die, I know those with power can kill me but the situation in our country has to change. Killing me will not help because it is just a matter of who dies first, all of us will die,” a furious Bukomeko added.
He told those close to President Museveni to advise him that the ongoing situation will kill his popularity because of the fear the armed men are creating which is creating hatred against him as a person and his people which is a bad thing given that as President, he has done a lot for Uganda.
Owekitiibwa Mpanga also condemned the ongoing abductions explaining that the reason why people of Buganda joined the liberation war was because of killing of people without trial, abductions, kidnaps, unfairness and lawlessness executed by government. He asked those resurrecting these practices to stop.
“Tell those who are taking us back to the dark days of Idi Amin and Milton Obote to ask their parents why there were wars in Buganda. Our grandfathers, fathers and mothers fought and died in those wars because they had to stop such barbaric actions,” Mpanga also a prominent lawyer said.
Lukwago was on Monday abducted from his Wakaliga home and kept in an unknown place incommunicado until his humiliating photos were released on the X handle alleged to be run by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Gen Muhoozi later announced that he was going to release Lukwago because of the respect and love he had towards his wife Charlotte Kainerugaba who asked him to do so.
Lukwago appeared before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday afternoon and charged with the offence of misprision of treason.
Misprision of treason is when an individual has knowledge of plans aimed at unlawfully changing the government but fails to report to the relevant authorities about these plans and those making those plans.
Lukwago was remanded to Luzira prison until Monday, June 22.
Lukwago’s lawyers lead by Medard Lubega Ssogona claims that Lukwago was abducted while he was preparing to serve Gen Muhoozi with Court summons issued by Criminal Division of the High Court judge Emmanuel Baguma
The summons resulted from the Human Rights Enforcement application filed by incarcerated opposition strongman Dr Kizza Besigye and his political assistant Haji Obed Lutale Kamulegeya through their lawyers led by Lukwago who accuse Muhoozi of using his office to violate their rights by threatening that was going to kill them.
