Although President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni pardoned the two National Unity Platform (NU) lawmakers, he is not willing to meet them.
The President is still convinced that the Hon Allan Ssewanyana and Mohammad Ssegirinya participated directly or indirectly in the killing of innocent civilians in greater Masaka in 2021.
The reign of terror codenamed ‘Bijambiya’ left 25 people dead and scores injured.
Through intelligence led operation, security arrested the two opposition MPs and they had spent close to two years in prison until their release last month.
Reports indicated they were released following endless meetings between top brass of opposition and the State.
It should be noted that Museveni opposed courts for granting bail to suspects charged with capital offences and the President was targeting the two legislators.
Officials in government said the President who had received intelligence was convinced that the two MPs had something to do with the terror in Masaka.
The mediation of their release was led by the Leader of Opposition Hon Mathias Mpuuga without the permission of his boss Hon Robert Kyagulanyi.
But Mpuuga denied having participated in the mediation.
However, Mr Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine said he had no information how the two members of the party secured their freedom.
For two months the MPs who are out on bail had not made a public appearance, and according to sources they had been lobbying covertly to meet the President to have the charges of terrorism dropped.
“The President, with the intelligence he had received remains questioning the MPs’ motive in sponsoring the attacks in Masaka,” said a source.
The NRM regime has largely been commended by the public including opposition for not killing people irrespective of their political affiliation.
Museveni has many times condemned killing of Ugandans maintaining that perpetrators must face harsh punishments.
Meanwhile, the bailed MPs on Wednesday convened a news conference at NUP head offices for the first time since they were released and denied any negotiations in their release.
“There was no negotiation. It was the law that worked for us as well as the pressure from journalists, religious, cultural leaders and our party leaders,” the duo said.
“I don’t think we needed the negotiations because we had our lawyers headed by Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago whose way of doing things shows he cannot go through corners,” Ssewanyana emphasized.
Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya labelled spreaders of the negotiation claim as “propagandists.”
“Some people were saying we can’t come here. We are here. We have been sick and we couldn’t address people,” they said.
