The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, along with several opposition MPs, has pledged to act as sureties on Monday for all Ugandans imprisoned due to political disagreements, aiming to facilitate their release.
Ssenyonyi disclosed this commitment during his visit to Luzira Upper Prison to assess the situation of political detainees held there. He highlighted instances where political prisoners were denied court bail, despite their parents volunteering to stand as sureties. The court rejected their parents’ offers, citing their alleged lack of eligibility to serve as sureties.
Furthermore, Ssenyonyi expressed concern over individuals who have spent extended periods, some up to four years, in prison without conclusive legal proceedings. He revealed that many political prisoners, including numerous women and over 86 Karamojong women arrested for street begging, remain incarcerated. Additionally, there are over 100 breastfeeding mothers among the female inmates in Luzira Women’s Upper Prison.
Helen Nakimuli, the Member of Parliament for Kalangala District and Shadow Minister for Information, along with Paul Nsubuga, the MP for Busiro North, and other legislators, urged the government to cease imprisoning individuals based on dissenting political views, advocating for alternative approaches to handling such disagreements.
