Prisons Service Denies Claims of Jailed MPs Secretly Meeting President Museveni

The Uganda Prisons Service has refuted claims that the MPs battling corruption charges were sneaked out of Luzira Prison to meet President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

This follows reports of the five MPs belonging to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) having a secretive meeting at State House Entebbe.

The reports were fueled by a post on X, formerly Twitter, by human rights activist Nicholas Opiyo. The Chapter Four boss alleged that two MPs were sneaked into State House.

Much as he didn’t confirm the identities of the two MPs, he confirmed that they had met President Museveni.

Two NRM MPs charged and remanded to prisons on corruption charges were, allegedly, after their detention, secretly whisked from their detention at Luzira Prisons to meet the President at State House, Entebbe.

Nicholas Opiyo’s post read in part.

Nicholas Opiyo also went on to question the President’s commitment to his recently publicized fight against corruption. According to Opiyo, such actions undercut his public posture as an anti-corruption crusader. It’s also unclear what the discussion in the alleged meeting entailed.

However, less than 24 hours later, the Prisons Service debunked the allegations by Opiyo. Through a statement issued by the Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine, the Prisons Service said that Opiyo’s claims were false and unfounded.

Baine confirmed that the Prisons Service cannot deliver a prisoner to State House as that’s not their mandate.

He quoted the Prisons Act of 2006 Section 5(A). The Act requires the service to ensure that every person detained legally in prisons is kept in safe, secure, humane custody. Under the Act, the persons are only expected to be produced in court when required.

Therefore, there is no reason whatsoever for prisoners to be produced at State House at any time of the day or night.

Baine said.

Parliament woes

Over the last couple of months, Parliament has been dogged by allegations of corruption. This prompted the President to launch an attack on the House during his State of the Nation Address. During the address, the President revealed that he had unearthed a racket of corruption pinning Parliamentary staff and officials at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

Following the President’s revelations, five MPs have been arrested on corruption-related charges. These include Yusuf Mutembuli of Bunyole East and Paul Akamba of Busiki County. Others are Michael Mawanda of Igara East and Cissy Namujju, the Lwengo District Woman MP. Elgon County MP Ignatius Mudimi Wamakuyu is also facing similar charges.

Mutembuli, Namujju, and Akamba are accused of soliciting a bribe from Uganda Human Rights Commission boss Mariam Wangadya. Under their proposed arrangement, the trio would get 20% of the Commission’s 2024/2025 budget to facilitate its enhancement.

While Mudimi and Mawanda are accused of defrauding the government of up to Shs 160 billion. This was through a payout to cooperative societies that were allegedly affected by the wars. Akamba is also accused alongside Mudimi and Mawanda.