Prisons trash claims of jailed MPs secretly meeting Museveni

Uganda Prisons has trashed as unfounded, claims that some of the jailed NRM MPs on corruption charges were secretly chauffeured to State House to meet President Museveni.

Lawyer Nicholas Opio stated on his X that two of the jailed NRM MPs had allegedly met Museveni at State House under unclear reasons.

“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. What the president was discussing with the two legislators is unclear but it certainly undercuts his public posture as  an anti-corruption crusader,” Opio posted.

The posted attracted a lot of reactions from members of the public.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, Prisons trashed the claims as untrue.

“As Prisons, we categorically state that these allegations are false and unfounded,” Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine said.

Quoting the Prisons Act of 2006 Section 5(A), Baine said the cardinal function of the prisons is to ensure every person detained legally in a prison is kept in safe, secure and humane custody and produced in court when required until lawful discharged or removed from prison.

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

Prisons said the claims by lawyer Opio should be disregarded since they are aimed at misleading the public for personal political gains.

Three MPs including Yusuf Mutembuli ( Bunyole East Constituency) , Paul Akamba ( Busiki Constituency) and Cissy Namujju Dionizia (Lwengo District Woman MP ) were sent to prison for asking for a kickback from the Uganda Human Rights Commission to be able to help increase the commission’s budget.