Bobi Wine disowns man who asked Museveni to pardon jailed NUP supporters
Musician Bebe Cool(L) and opposition NUP party member Ali Katerega (R) look on as Youth and Children state minister Balaam Barugahara addresses President Museveni during the swearing in of newly appointed ministers at State House, Entebbe on March 27, 2024. PHOTO/PPU
What you need to know:
- NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi maintains that all detained party supporters are innocent.
The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party has distanced itself from one of its party members who appeared before President Museveni asking the Ugandan leader to pardon political prisoners.
Ali Katerega, who is a councillor in Masaka City subscribing to NUP, was seen amongst people accompanying newly appointed state minster Balaam Barugahara as he was sworn-in at State House Entebbe on Wednesday.
Katerega sought to convince Museveni to forgive political prisoners jailed before, during or after the 2021 elections noting that “most of them were misled by political self-seekers.”
In response, Museveni said he would consider freeing some of them, save for capital offenders.
But on Thursday, NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bob Wine disowned Katerega adding that “he doesn’t not represent the views of the party.”
“You all saw a gentleman that came pretending to be a soldier of NUP and People Power. He was paraded by Balaam pretending to be speaking for us. We are not going to beg Museveni for our freedom because it is our constitutional right,” Kyagulanyi told a gathering to belatedly commemorate the annual March 8 Women’s Day.
Mr George Musisi, one of the lawyers of NUP members (standing) during his submission at the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala, on September 27, 2022. PHOTO | ABUBAKER LUBOWA
Kyagulanyi maintains that all detained party supporters are innocent.
“All the people that have been killed were killed innocently and they must get justice, all our comrades that are in prison are not criminals and we continue to demand their freedom,” he said at the party headquarters in Kampala.
Kyagulanyi further viewed that Museveni “is not above the law,” insisting that “the jailed NUP supporters should be handled in accordance with the Ugandan law if they are offenders.”
“This is the reason why we petitioned all legal platforms in the world, including the international criminal court and yes Museveni is feeling the pressure,” he remarked.
NUP lawyer Shamin Malende argued that their supporters were illegally detained for wearing red berets.
She said she was “concerned that Katerega appeared before the president in the same beret but was not arrested.”
Several alleged NUP supporters were rounded up in various parts of the country during Uganda’s 2021 electoral season. Some have been reported missing or dead.
Early this week, Balaam pledged to advocate for the release of detained NUP supporters.
