By Frank Kamuntu
Kampala: Natalie E. Brown, the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda on 30th January 2021 finally met and held talks with Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, the President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
Brown’s meeting with Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine took place over 12 days after the diplomat was restricted from accessing him by the government’s furious face masked army that kicked her out like empty mineral water bottles under unclear reasons.
The American embassy said at the time that the ambassador wanted to check on Kyagulanyi’s “health and safety.” But the Uganda government through its Spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo, accused the U.S of trying to “subvert” the recent presidential elections which saw Yoweri Museveni declared the winner with close to 59% of the vote cast against his closest rival, Kyagulanyi, who polled 35% of the vote.
READ ALSO: We Can’t Be Part Of This Bloody Selection Process-US Election Observers Pull Out Hours To Polls
However, on Jan.25, Court ordered the security forces to stop the confinement of Kyagulanyi and his wife, calling it unlawful and a violation of his rights. Kyagulanyi immediately began receiving guests with the very first high profile visitor being Kate Airey, the British High Commissioner to Uganda who paid him a courtesy visit on Jan. 27.
Meanwhile, according to a statement posted on the American embassy’s Facebook page on Jan.30, Amb. Brown and Kyagulanyi “discussed the political situation in Uganda, the essential role that constructive political opposition plays in a democracy, the decades-long partnership between the people of Uganda and the United States, and the political transition in the United States.”
“On the eve of African-American History Month, celebrated in the United States each February, they also discussed America’s continued effort to achieve the promise of liberty and justice for all, the important legacy of civil rights leaders and ordinary citizens who have dedicated their lives to advance that goal, and how these experiences have influenced others globally in the pursuit for more inclusive and representative societies,” the statement reads in part.
Brown also commended the participation of candidates from across Uganda’s political spectrum in the country’s recent elections. However, she noted that the United States continues to be deeply concerned about the extrajudicial detention of opposition political party members, the reported disappearance of several opposition supporters, and continued restrictions on the NUP’s operations.
Brown reiterated that the United States does not take sides or support any specific candidate or party in Uganda’s elections. She called for all political parties and their supporters to use constitutional, legal, and non-violent means to address complaints about election irregularities and emphasized U.S. support for the fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly, and movement.
“Political violence, repression, and intimidation have no place in democracies,” she said.
