Museveni in UK for CHOGM

President Museveni has left for the 25th Common Wealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in United Kingdom.

The president left today after a busy week, where he dished out billions of shillings in Rukungiri ahead of the forthcoming district woman Member of Parliament elections.

Ahead of the departure, he also donated Shs500million to a SACCO founded by Dr Cyprian Lwanga, the Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, after a stormy period that saw the prelate accusing the state of spying on religious leaders and employing people to harm them.

A press release from the statehouse says “President Yoweri Museveni has left for London, the British capital, to attend the 25th Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (CHOGM).
President Museveni was seen off at Entebbe International Airport this morning by the Vice President, Mr Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.

Others at the airport to see him off included Presidency Minister, Esther Ambayo, the Head of Public Service, John Mitala, the Chief of the Defence Forces, Gen David Muhoozi, the Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola and the Commissioner General of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija.

The summit under the theme “Towards a common future” is focused on building on the strengths of the Commonwealth to ensure this unique organisation is responsive to global challenges and delivers a more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair future for all citizens, particularly its young people.

A note from the organisers says “the summit will aim to build links between countries to offer young people access to knowledge and skills; and give them a voice on key issues such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

According to the organisers, across the Commonwealth, member states face common challenges: Weak global trade and investment flows; new cross-border security threats; the effects of climate change on small and other vulnerable states; threats to our shared values of democracy, good governance and inclusivity as set out in the Commonwealth Charter.

Human rights advocate petition the UK Prime Minister over Uganda’s human rights violations
A human rights advocate, Opio Oryema has petitioned the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May to press Uganda’s president to end the human rights violations in the country, which according to him have impeded progress in rule of law.

In a letter date 9th April 2018, first published on the www.blackstarnews.com, Mr Opio wants the Prime Minister to reign in on Uganda and task the president to respect human rights and rule of law in the country.

“The failure of the Commonwealth to address continued serious human rights problems in Uganda and many of its member countries in Africa undermines the 1991 Harare Declaration and act as a demonstration of institutional weaknesses in the Commonwealth's capacity to promote, protect human rights and the rule of law. Human rights abuses continue to impede any progress towards the establishment of accountable government and the rule of law in Uganda,” his petition in part reads.

He listed a litany of what he called human rights abuses and violations in the country for the last 32 years and beyond when the current regime still operated as rebels in Luwero.

“The Uganda government has been responsible for serious human rights abuses since 1986 when the present government came to power through violence. These include massacres, unlawful killings, rapes and other crimes of sexual violence, widespread burning and destruction of homes and property by the military in (Luwero) Southern Uganda in the 1980s and Northern and Eastern Uganda in the 1990s, for which no one has yet been brought to justice.”

Mr Opio also said the last elections were marred by unprecedented violence and rigging where several actors were violently arrested and denied fair hearing. He has challenged the government to take a stand to end the human rights violations in the country.

“We appeal to the Commonwealth Heads of Government to use its meetings in the United Kingdom to press for an end to impunity and for institutional human rights reforms in Uganda and Africa in general. The failure of Commonwealth members to speak out on Human Rights abuses in Uganda leaves the organisation open to accusations of hypocrisy and undermines the effectiveness of Commonwealth actions across member states, especially in Africa,” the petition continues.

“We hope you will urge all Commonwealth member states, and particularly those in Africa that, a common future cannot be achieved without shared values of protection of democracy, Human Rights and the rule of law,” the petition concludes.

However, it’s not clear if the UK Prime Minister will act on the petition and task president Museveni to end the human rights violations in the country.

Uganda government has not yet responded to the petition. Mr Don Wanyama, the presidential spokesperson did not respond our request for the government’s position.

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