Leaders of the National Unity Platform (NUP) have accused the government of selectively applying the law after images of Kitgum Woman MP wearing Uganda People’s Defense Force – UPDF attire went viral.
NUP leaders made these allegations during a brief press conference held at the party headquarters in Makerere, where they distributed scholastic materials and school fees to children of NUP supporters allegedly affected by arrests and abductions.
Photos of Lilian Aber dressed in full UPDF uniform went viral on social media a few hours before the Tarehe Sita celebrations, prompting NUP members to claim she should have been detained beforehand.
Speaking at the event, opposition leader Joel Ssenyonyi stated that he has already raised the issue of the army’s selective approach on the floor of Parliament.
He argued that while many of their supporters have been imprisoned for more than three years for allegedly wearing red berets that resemble UPDF attire, many other individuals have been seen wearing real UPDF attire and nothing has been done to them.
Some citizens who have in the past been captured or observed dressed in army uniforms and no action was taken against them include State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang, and veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda among others.
According to Ssenyonyi, all NUP supporters jailed on the same charge should be released, while those he referred to as regime apologists should be arrested because they have already been proven guilty of violating army uniforms.
UPDF Spokesperson Brigadier Felix Kulaigye had however earlier told journalists that MP Aber had already been summoned, but she apologized and she was forgiven by the CDF and asked not to do it again, before adding that the Army officer who gave Aber the attire has since been arrested.
On his part, the party Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya said that they have 189 children whom they are supposed to take care of.
He added that many of these parents were either killed, abducted, tortured, or under detention, therefore it beats his understanding when people say that they are stage-managed.
It is from this background that Rubongoya dismissed claims that NUP is orchestrating the abductions and renewed calls to their long appeal to the government to release detained supporters and locate those missing for extended periods.
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