On Thursday evening, while appearing before the United Nations Committee against Torture, the attorney general of Uganda, Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, was interrupted by five women donning NUP t-shirts who accused Uganda of abusing human rights.
In the live video circulating on social media, the ladies were seen distributing pamphlets with the alleged human rights abuses before they were whisked away and detained by security for a few hours.
Caution to Bobi Wine funders
As many European countries and individuals fund Bobi Wine’s activities both in Uganda and the Diaspora, his mobilisation to discredit a full United Nations meeting at the UN head offices in Geneva shows how disruptive Robert Kyagulanyi is with his supporters both in the Diaspora and in Uganda and exposes his team’s lack of respect for both democratically elected governments and big, recognised international bodies.
Similar organised confrontations
In July, while on a trip to Canada, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa, who was donning a yellow kitengi, stepped into a “lion’s den” when a section of Ugandans in Canada confronted her, protesting over rising commodity prices at a time when the whole world had a rise in prices at the peak of the Russia-Ukraine war.
In late September, a group organised by NUP supporters also confronted the Ugandan Envoy to the United Arab Emirates, who had gone to liaise with the UAE government on how best they could work together to repatriate the stranded Ugandans in the UAE.
Early October, the Minister for Presidency, Milly Babalanda, found herself in an uncomfortable situation after being confronted by National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter William Ntege alias Kyuma Kya Yesu while in Canada.
The incident happened shortly after Babalanda gave her remarks at the Busoga Innovation Symposium 2022 in Toronto, Canada.
In February 2022, the Acholi Parliamentary Group accused the leadership of the National Unity Platform of masterminding protests in the USA against the late Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, who had been rushed there to seek medical treatment.
Bobi Wine has openly come out to congratulate the organisers of such protests on his social media pages, praising them and endlessly bragging of how he is proud of his team in the Diaspora.
In his tweet, Bobi Wine said, “SUPER PROUD OF YOU LADIES.” Thank you for making sure that the shameless lies do not go.
The different Ugandan officials who have been confronted had travelled on official business to represent the interests of all Ugandans, inclusive of all opposition, even the relatives of the protesters staying in Uganda.
Such barbaric acts of hooliganism should be condemned by all leaders, whether in government or opposition.
We are first Ugandans, then members of different parties. The image of Uganda should always be protected, no matter the political difference.
The impact of hooliganism;
Whereas Kyagulanyi and his group in Diasporas have given themselves the roles of devil advocates against Uganda as a Country, they should be conscious about the direct impacts of their campaigns.
This smear campaign directly affects our international reputation and our tourism sector, which employs hundreds of Ugandans and other foreign nationals both directly and indirectly.
It also affects our investment sector since they directly appeal to foreign investors to believe Uganda is in a state of lawlessness, which may put their investment at risk.
This kind of negativity is not only dangerous to the economy, but it hampers our national interests and discourages development partners from coming to Uganda.
Once all these are affected, it means our economy and national infrastructures like Uganda Airlines and the airport, among others, will also be crippled; therefore, what economy is Kyagulanyi wishing to inherit once he becomes the President of Uganda? Uganda is not His Excellency the President; Uganda is for all of us, regardless of our political, religious, and tribal backgrounds; let’s protect our national interests first before politics, etc.
The writer is Roberto Carlos Musanali, a Ugandan student of international relations at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
For God and My Country,Amen
