In a disturbing incident at the Anti-Corruption Court yesterday, a National Resistance Movement (NRM) legislator Paul Akamba was violently re-arrested shortly after being granted bail.
This incident has sparked widespread condemnation and raised concerns about the increasing impunity and abuse of power by security operatives with NUP president Kyagulanyi the latest to condemn the incidents.
"Very unfortunate," Kyagulanyi said in his message posted on his X account.
The abduction mirrors similar incidents previously experienced by members of the opposition, the worst affected being Dr Kizza Besigye, a fout-time presidential candidate.
The ugly habit appears to have started with the 2005 violent re-arrest of Dr Besigye outside the High Court in Kampala by what came to be known as Black Mambas.
In 2021, MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana were abducted under similar circumstances after securing their release on bail.
Despite paying Shs20 million each for their bail, they spent nearly two years in detention.
Muslim clerics have also reportedly faced numerous instances of abduction on trumped-up charges, further highlighting the pervasive nature of this illegal practice.
Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine, has been vocal in his condemnation of these actions. Following the abduction of the NRM MP, Kyagulanyi emphasized that this incident should serve as a wake-up call to all political leaders in Uganda.
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He further criticized the indifference of Parliament and other leaders to the ongoing human rights abuses, asserting that the law should protect every citizen, regardless of their political affiliation.
"Sadly, the Parliament and many other leaders have always looked away as we demand for an end to this impunity," Kyagulanyi said.
"Hopefully, they now learn that if the law does not protect a member of the opposition, neither will it protect them when they need its protection the most. We must collectively fight to put an end to this blatant abuse of rights."
The repeated abductions of opposition figures and their supporters have been a point of contention and a source of fear among the populace.
The incident involving the NRM MP, who was taken into custody shortly after the court's decision to grant him bail, underscores the pervasive and escalating nature of this issue.
As calls for justice and adherence to the rule of law grow louder, it remains to be seen how the government and security agencies will respond to these accusations and whether measures will be taken to curb the alarming trend of abductions.
The international community and human rights organizations are also closely monitoring the situation, with many urging the Ugandan government to uphold democratic principles and protect the rights of all citizens.
