NUP extends scholastic materials to children of missing, detained supporters

The president of National Unity Platform (NUP) Mr Robert Kyagulanyi has delivered scholastic materials to 137 children of the party’s missing, incarcerated and dead party supporters ahead of the first academic term opening next week.

Handing over the scholastic materials such as books, pens, toilet papers, reams of papers and sanitary towels for girls at his residential home in Magere, Wakiso District, Mr Kyagulanyi urged the families to continue demanding for the justice of their loved ones.

“We have raised our concerns on the missing Ugandans at all forums, we have been to police, courts, parliament, human rights commission and others places where we thought to have justice of our comrades, all these have failed and the last report we got from the human rights commission is that we are just exaggerating non-existent missing persons,” Mr Kaygulanyi said.

“If these people are not missing, why is it that their family members can firmly stand before cameras and testify on this matter? We have not given up, we shall continue to pursue justice for these Ugandans because they have a right to fair hearing,” he added.

The NUP president together with other members of the party pledged to ensure that the children of the missing, incarcerated and killed party supporters are supported for academic continuity in absence of their fathers and relatives who are said to be languishing in the unknown detention centres.

“It is not a party mandate to look after these children, but we found it important to intervene so that the children of our supporters are not robbed of their opportunity to education. We shall do whatever we can to keep them in school as we continue to demand for justice,” Mr Kyagulanyi said.

Among others, the families of the alleged missing persons that turned for the support are, mother of Moses Kawenja, two children, wife of John Damulira, four children, Denis Zzimula’s mother who left her with four children and John Bosco Kibalama’s wife who came to receive scholastics of his four children.

Other families which received the support are those of the fallen party diehards such Rita Nabukenya and Frank Senteza who died during the 2021 campaign period.

Last month, the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Ms Mariam Wangandya accused the NUP party for its failure to avail the commission with the details of the alleged missing person as the commission failed to find the whereabouts of 18 missing persons on the list of 25 missing people claimed by NUP.

This week, the flaring allegation of continuous abductions brought the opposition and government to the same table for discussions where the  Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said a section of the missing persons were “hardcore criminals” some of whom have since been charged in the courts of law.  The premier’s statements have since irritated the opposition members with the opposition Chief Whip Mr John Baptist Nambeshe, accusing Ms Nabbanja of passing judgement on the suspects before trial.