The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Rebeca Kadaga has authored a letter to the Commander in Chief (CiC) of the armed Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to heavily punish soldiers who tortured MPs, civilians and journalists in pre- and post Arua election violence.
The mayhem which resulted into stoning of the Presidential motorcade was allegedly fuelled by opposition members who were in the area canvassing support for independent candidate Kassiano Wadri.
These MPs were later arrested and two of them subjected to grave torture and have since been hospitalised.
Both Kyadondo East lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi and Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake are bedridden at Rubaga Hospital.
Earlier reports had indicated that Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine had sustained head fractures and his kidney damaged which President Yoweri museveni later dispelled.
The violence left one person dead and 30 detained. They were freed on Monday by Gulu Court on non cash bail.
The detention of Bobi Wine sparked off countrywide protests in which 5 people shot dead, many injured and journalists attacked.
The Speaker has since written to the President of this mess,
“Your excellency, I am concerned that no effort has been made to arrest the security officers from SFC, military police and Uganda Police Force who were involved in the violent actions against unarmed civilians,”Kadaga says in the letter also copied to the Vice President, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister.
“This conduct is in breach of the Prevention and Prohibition of the Torture Act 2012 in force in Uganda, especially section 2 1(a) and (b).”
Kadaga in the letter addressed as being urgent and needs action to be taken to arrest, arraign and try security officers involved says a number of people have presented visible torture marks on their bodies and she says no one has ever explained how they came about.
“This is therefore to demand that the officers concerned be apprehended at the earliest opportunity and presented in court.”
“Unless this is done, it will be difficult to conduct government business in parliament .The Uganda Parliament will not condone or acquiesce in acts of torture,” she adds.