In an emotional testimony presented before the Parliamentary Committee of Presidential Affairs, female opposition Members of Parliament are demanding transparency and accountability concerning incidents of police brutality they endured in April 2023. These brave lawmakers have come forward with distressing allegations of physical abuse at the hands of police officers.
As a response to their harrowing accounts, the committee has issued summons to the Minister of the Office of the Presidency, the Minister for Internal Affairs, and the Minister for Local Government to respond to the allegations made by the female legislators in regards to the Police brutality towards them.
Their presence is required to address the disturbing reports of police violence directed at the opposition MPs. Additionally, the summons are aimed at initiating an investigation into the unlawful dispersal of Women’s Day activities in several districts, including Mityana, Hoima, Soroti, and Buvuma Islands.
It pitted female police officers against opposition female legislators when the latter were denied permission to march to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They intended to present a petition addressing alleged mistreatment and arrogance displayed by Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) in the aforementioned districts.
The Buvuma incident
Buvuma district Member of Parliament, Susan Nakaziba Mugabi was seriously assaulted and tear gassed to coma.
Nakaziba, the National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer had insisted on holding the belated women’s day celebrations for Buvuma district despite Police’s efforts to declare it cancelled on grounds that she had failed to meet the required security guidelines.
The function was slated to take place at Bwema sub-county. Police first blocked Nakaziba together with her team from proceeding to Buvuma islands at Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe district.
However, she decided to take a different route from the Ssenyi landing site in Ssi-Bukunja sub-county. Nakaziba was in company of Jinja City woman MP, Manjeri Kyebakutika who told our reporter that as they were about to reach the venue at Kyanja landing site, officers of Marine Police tried to stop them on the water ordering them to go back where they were coming from but Nakaziba ordered the person who was manning the boat not to stop until when they landed at the landing site.
Joined with a number of NUP supporters who were chanting NUP slogans, the legislator headed to Kyanja playground where the venue for the function had been organised.
Unfortunately, the police officer together with some army officers asked them to go back where they had come from. The legislator and her team did not heed to the security personnel’s orders prompting the use of teargas and other forms of assault to disperse the crowds.