The National Unity Platform (NUP) is embroiled in a heated legal battle with the Ugandan government. The party accuses the government of kidnapping 18 of its members and is demanding their return through a lawsuit filed at the High Court in Kampala.
However, the government, represented by the Attorney General, strongly refutes these claims. They've submitted four sworn statements (affidavits) denying any knowledge of the missing individuals. This contradicts what some government officials previously stated, creating confusion.
Lawyer George Musisi, representing the missing persons' families, points to these inconsistencies. He highlights how a government minister once presented a list mentioning some of the missing people in Parliament. Additionally, a police spokesperson even admitted to detaining one specific individual - John Bosco Kibalama - whom the government now claims to not know of.
"In 2021, the then Minister of Internal Affairs Gen. Jeje Odongo displayed a list of some of the missing persons on the floor of parliament. As if that's not enough, the Kampala Metropolitan Spokesperson Patrick Onyango also once admitted police having Ddamulira in custody." said lawyer George Musisi, the lawyer.
The plot thickens as the Attorney General is now required to submit further evidence supporting their denials by April 24th, 2023. This case promises further developments as the court weighs the evidence presented by both sides.