Kadaga clears MPs to table list of missing Ugandans 

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga on Tuesday lost her patience with government over its delay to respond to a directive by Parliament to table the list of missing persons.

Ms Kadaga said the government will be held accountable for the whereabouts of the missing persons since they have failed to make the list public. 

“Since we resumed (the plenary session), there have been complaints about missing persons. The President directed those who have them to publish the list,” the Speaker said. 

She added: “In absence of that (list), I want to ask these members who have a list of missing people to produce it here so that we can make the government to account.” 

Her ruling followed a request by Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu to allow him table the list of the missing people and their particulars.

Internal Affairs minister Gen Jeje Odongo was a no-show in Parliament yesterday, something that annoyed Opposition MPs.  MPs Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), Betty Nambooze (Mukono Municipality), Gilbert Olanya (Kilak South) and Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County) questioned the integrity of the security agencies, who seem to have defied the presidential directive, before the Speaker ruled in their favour. 

Many of the missing persons were allegedly “abducted” by security operatives driving mostly in Toyata Hiace vehicles, commonly known as drones. 

On Monday, police spokesperson Fred Enanga told the media in Kampala that Minister Odongo would release the list of the missing persons anytime soon since it has been handed over to him. 

“That instruction from Speaker Kadaga of last week still stands.  The minister met the various service chiefs and this list was forwarded to him,” Mr Enanga said.

In his address to the nation about a month ago, President Museveni confirmed that the people, who had allegedly been kidnapped, were indeed in the custody of security agencies and ordered the release of their names. Many of them are said to be NUP party supporters.