Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, Butambala County MP has affirmed that the opposition's boycott of the plenary is ongoing.
He explains that their presence in parliament was solely to receive a report, and had the Speaker not adjourned the House, they would have left after the report reading
Speaking on the NBS Frontline Show on Thursday night, Kivumbi emphasised that their issues have not been adequately addressed by the government, leading to their absence from Thursday's plenary session.
"We are set to make a statement on the government response on Tuesday. Our boycott persists. We were not in parliament today{Thursday}. We attended the plenary because It would be baseless if the government claimed to have a report when we were not there to receive it. Our return to the plenary was specifically to receive a report and had the Speaker not adjourned Parliament, we were supposed to exit after receiving the report," said Kivumbi.
Kivumbi outlines some of their demands, including accountability for all missing person cases, a state apology to end impunity, prosecution of culpable officers, and a government commitment to avoid repeating such acts.
He states that their response on Tuesday will determine their next course of action in terms of strategies.
On Wednesday, opposition members returned to the parliamentary sitting after a month-long boycott, highlighting human rights concerns that urgently need addressing.
The government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo contends that the opposition's demand to prolong the human rights issue until 2026 may be politically motivated for the upcoming election, asserting that if the boycotters reject the government's response, the facts are on the table, leaving the public to judge.
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State for Internal Affairs, David Muhoozi, reports that the top leadership of the National Unit Platform (NUP) barred relatives of missing persons from speaking to the Police, hindering the resolution of some cases.
Despite Muhoozi's claims, opposition MPs stress the need for immediate government action to safeguard citizens' fundamental rights.
In response to Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga's assertion that Uganda is among the worst human rights abusers, Muhoozi rejects the claim as false.
He asserts that addressing any alleged abuses should be done specifically, rather than in a casual and generalized manner.
