KAMPALA – Some legislators on Tuesday, April 23, urged Parliament to protect their colleague, Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine who has been put under preventive arrest by police.
Raising a matter of urgent national importance, Mukono Municipality Betty Nambooze expressed concern regarding the rising police brutality against opposition leaders.
Ms Nambooze asked Mr Oulanyah to invoke Parliament powers on privileges enjoyed by sitting MPs to rescue Mr Bobi Wine whose music concerts have also been blocked by police.
“Mr Speaker Sir, you are supposed to assist us to be able to do work in Parliament but as we sit here the people of Kyadondo East can’t be represented because their MP has been detained in his home, together with his children,” she said.
“The fact that an MP cannot leave his home to come to parliament, I beg that the government comes out clearly to tell us whether it is an offence to dress in red and sing slogans of people power,” said Mr Nambooze.
She was backed by Rukungiri Municipality MP Roland Kaginda who accused police of being partisan.
But Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah said Mr Kyagulanyi should resolve his troubles with the police.
“Parliament is not a haven or a place of safety for criminal conduct; if you commit a crime outside parliament, the privileges and immunities of parliament cannot protect you. Parliament is not a haven for criminality,” Mr Oulanyah said.
“Let us make a distinction; parliamentary privileges and immunities relate to what you say and do in parliament. They do not relate to what you say and do outside parliament. Please remember this it might help you in future.”
“You will not have the protection of Parliament and there are procedures for dealing with these things, so let us be honourable in the way we do things,” Mr Oulanyah said.
The leader of government business, Gen (Rtd) Moses Ali said he hadn’t received a report from Police regarding Mr Kyaggulanyi or any opposition leader to be suffering at the hands of the police.
He promised that he would follow up the matter.
On Monday, police blocked Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi wine from holding his Easter concert at his One Love Beach in Busabala, Wakiso District.
On his way to the beach, Bobi Wine was arrested and whisked away by a police van to his home in Magere.
