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MPs ask govt to stop rumour on Oulanyah
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanya chairs the House on October 27 last year. Mr Oulanyah has been hospitalised in Washington, US, since early last month, sparking rumours about his death. PHOTO/ DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Legislators wondered whether the government had apprehended the people spreading false announcements.
Members of Parliament yesterday asked the government to “do something” to stem the proliferation of announcements on social media of false death of notable citizens.
The House Human Rights Committee, which is currently investigating claims of grotesque rights violations in the country by security operatives, said it was perturbed by unsubstantiated claims that the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, had passed on.
The rumour gained traction online after Deputy Speaker Anita Among abruptly adjourned Parliament indefinitely on Tuesday and together with others, including Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo, took a flight to check on Mr Oulanyah, who has been hospitalised in Washington, US, since early last month.
At yesterday’s committee sitting, Sironko District Woman MP Florence Wamala said: “For example, Parliament was so cold [following the adjournment]. Everyone was sitting at their desk(s) almost doing nothing because the negative (false) news had come out.”
Addressing herself to Information, Communications and Technology Minister Chris Baryomunsi, who doubles as the government spokesperson, Ms Wamala asked: “What is your ministry planning to do with such people because they seem to get away with it?”
Another legislator asked whether the government had apprehended the people spreading false announcements.
Dr Baryomunsi admitted that they are challenged on how to control online broadcasters of false deaths of leaders.
“There is a difference between people being brought up and people just growing up. I think there are people who are just growing up like trees and they are not brought up in our cultural and traditional family way,” he said.
He said it is inconceivable how a normal person can prematurely announce the demise of another and gloat over it, without even attempting to ascertain the truth.
A proposed government intervention is investing in technology for online surveillance and policing to track culprits.
The government has officially said nothing about the health state of Mr Oulanyah, the third most important citizen in the national order of precedence.
When Ms Among flew to the United States on Tuesday, Parliament spokesperson issued a statement in which he explained it that she was visiting to check on Mr Oulanyah and brief him about House business.
Mr Oulanyah, who had served for a decade as Deputy Speaker, was elected Speaker last June after an acrimonious campaign for the seat.
He fell ill shortly afterwards, leaving for months for treatment reportedly in the United Kingdom. Then, as now, rumours circulated that he had died.
Upon return, Mr Oulanyah at the time questioned the morality and heart of people who pronounced him dead, saying it should be common decency to pray for the recovery of a patient than gloat over false news of their demise.
“What is wrong with us,” he asked.
Yesterday’s sitting the Committee on Human Rights chaired by MP Fox Odoi tasked Security minister Jim Muhwezi, a retired major general, to produce seven Ugandans who have been missing since November 2020 riots.
“We want your help in finding the whereabouts of these Ugandans. The Committee takes the position that we must account for every citizen,” Mr Odoi said, referring to a list of missing persons that Uganda Human Rights Commission officials shared with the MPs.
The persons whose disappearance was allegedly enforced by state are John Ddamulira, Mathew Kafeero, Mathew Kigozi, Sarah Namayanja, Agnes Nagweri, George Kasumba, and Ibrahim Chekedi.
There had been unverified claims that some of the individuals were being held incommunicado at secret ‘safe houses’.
Maj Gen Muhwezi said “there are no safe houses” in Uganda and the government detains suspects in only “gazetted detention centres” such as police and army facilities.
“Safe houses are safe for the purposes of work, but not for detention,” he said.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who also appeared before the same committee, said security operatives commit no crime in bundling suspects into the dreaded ‘drones’ vehicles.
“I can arrest you as a civilian using my private car, so how can it be illegal for police to use a civilian car? It isn’t illegal. What we need to be dealing with are the protocols and circumstances. Are you going to arrest a person who is accused of abuse of office using a drone?
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