Joseph Maseruka and Paul Kiwuuwa
2 August 2008
Kampala — Rubaga North MP Beti Kamya (FDC) has demanded that the Government compensates the three Mengo officials who were recently arrested and other Ugandans whose rights have also been abused by security operatives. The officials are Buganda information minister Peter Charles Mayiga, his deputy Medard Lubega and Betty Nambooze who heads the kingdom's civic education committee.
She said: "While I applaud the Government's apology for the mistakes made, we just cannot say sorry. We have to take responsibility for our actions. The Government must compensate the officials and punish the officers who carried out the arrest."
Addressing a press conference at Parliament on Thursday, Kamya cited previous rights abuse cases where the Police had merely apologised like the recent Kalerwe incident in which 12-year-old Willy Byamukama was killed by a stray bullet fired by a Special Police Constable as they tried to arrest drug users in the area.
"After the Government's apology, who will pay Nambooze's medical bills or Byamukama's life?" she asked. "The culprits are well known and they must pay for their sins," Kamya added.
Meanwhile, MPs on Tuesday held a special session of Parliament to debate the arrest and detention of the Buganda officials. Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi told Parliament that: "President Yoweri Museveni is ready for talks with the Mengo government, but being confrontational is not helpful."
The three Mengo officials were arrested on July 18 and were detained in police custody in western Uganda until July 25 when they were released.
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