By Andrew Irumba
Members of Parlaimet Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine (Kyadondo East), Latiff Ssebagala (Kawempe North) and other legislators were on Tuesday blocked by the military from accessing safe houses in Kyengera, Wakiso district and other parts of the country.
Bobi Wine and Ssebagala were together with Members of Parliament on Parliament’s Human Rights committee conducting a tour of safe houses in variosu parts of Uganda, to establish among others the number of people detained there and what charges they are facing.
However, when they visited one of the alleged safe houses, a
Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) officer in charge of the premise identified as Vincent Kalibbala, blocked them from going past the facility’s gate.
Kalibbala instead told them to get permission from the Director General of Internal Security Organization (ISO) Kaka Bagyenda or go to Nateete Police Station where and get permission from an officer only identified as Major.
The legislators resolved to visit safe houses after several people came out and claimed to have been abducted by security offices and detained inccomunicado at safe houses in Kyengera and Lwamayuba, at Kalangala Island.
Security Minister Gen. Elly Tumwine last week appeared before parliament and revealed that safe houses exist in Uganda for security purposes and that Members of parliament are prohibited from visiting them.
Gen. Tumwine warned the legislators from attempting to visit the safe houses, saying they will not be allowed to access them, although they MPs insisted that they would go ahead witht their planned visits.
