By Mukembo Wilfred
The Uganda Prisons Service has vehemently denied allegations that two National Resistance Movement (NRM) Members of Parliament, currently remanded at Luzira Prison on corruption charges, were secretly escorted to State House to meet President Yoweri Museveni. The allegations surfaced through social media channels, where human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo accused authorities of clandestinely transporting the legislators from detention to the presidential residence.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine refuted Opiyo’s claims, labeling them as false and baseless. “As Prisons, we categorically state that these allegations are false and unfounded,” Baine asserted, citing provisions under the Prisons Act of 2006 which mandate secure and lawful detention for all inmates.
“The Act clearly stipulates our duty to ensure prisoners are detained safely and securely, with no provision for their transfer to State House or any other location outside the prison system,” Baine explained. He dismissed any possibility of such unauthorized movements, emphasizing the service’s commitment to upholding lawful procedures.
The controversy arose following the arrest and subsequent remand of four NRM legislators last month on charges related to the misappropriation of approximately Shs3.4 billion. Among those detained are Busiki County MP Paul Akamba, Lwengo Woman MP Cissy Namujju, Igara East MP Michael Mawanda, and Elgon County Legislator Ignatius Mudimi. Prosecutors allege the lawmakers conspired to defraud the Ugandan government, implicating them in a scheme to inflate the budget of the Uganda Human Rights Commission in exchange for kickbacks.
Opiyo’s social media post questioned the circumstances under which the MPs purportedly met with President Museveni, insinuating inconsistencies in the government’s stance against corruption. “What the president was discussing with the two legislators is unclear but it certainly undercuts his public posture as an anti-corruption crusader,” Opiyo wrote, prompting a swift rebuttal from the Uganda Prisons Service.
Authorities have maintained that the lawmakers remain in custody at Luzira Prison, pending further legal proceedings. Baine cautioned the public against misinformation, stressing that Opiyo’s allegations were intended to mislead for personal gain and should be disregarded outright.
The saga continues to unfold against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny over corruption in Uganda’s political sphere, with the detained MPs awaiting their day in court amid ongoing public and legal scrutiny.
