Wakiso, Uganda | URN | Wakiso women in the Central Region of Uganda have peacefully demonstrated to express concern over their missing relatives as their way to commemorate International Women’s Day.
The grieving women read a list of many missing persons who are not on the list released by Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo, and pleaded with the government to either release them or admit that they don’t know where the abductors took them.
Headed by the district vice chairperson Betty Ethal Naluyima and the district council secretary for Health and Education Margret Nakitende Gasanyula, the women claim that they cannot participate in celebrating the International Women’s Day when it is their husbands and sons who are being abducted and have since gone missing.
Naluyima who is the district woman MP elect says that majority of those who were abducted, tortured and some of whose whereabouts are not known were accused of supporting opposition candidates.
According to the list released by the National Unity Platform (NUP) secretariat, over thirty people including Sserunkuuma Johnbosco of Nansana, Galiwango Rogers of Nansana, Kibalama Johnbosco from Namayumba, Sekitooleko Dennis, Sowedi Bbosa, Migadde Kassim, Asraf Nsubuga, Akram Zziwa, Julius Buwembo, Emmanuel Katongole, Kiyemba Ronald and many others were not included on the list released by Minister Jeje Odong in parliament last week.
They allege that over 400 people were abducted by security operatives before, during and after the January 14th presidential and parliamentary elections.
She says that the Women’s Day activity targeted only women leaders who participated but they are yet to call on all the women in Wakiso district to join their leaders in demanding for the missing relatives some of them being their husbands and children.
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Although the police were aware of the demonstration which took place outside Wakiso district headquarters, they did not stop the women and they went away at their leisure.
Nakitende Margret, the district council secretary for education and health has challenged President Yoweri Museveni to release the victims since he admitted that it were his security operatives who abducted them.
Catherine Namuddu, the councilor-elect representing Ndejje division to Wakiso district council said that not supporting government has never been a crime to warrant the abduction or arrest of a person. She says that such demonstrations would continue until when all the abducted people are set free.
