Calls for justice dominate as LOP hosts Iftar dinner
Demands for investigation reports into the murder of Muslim clerics came to the fore as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga hosted the Muslim community in Masaka to an Iftar dinner.
The dinner was hosted on Thursday evening at the LOP’s residence in Soweto, Masaka City.
Several speakers took turns to call on Parliament to cause for the release the reports from investigations that started 10 years ago when Sheikh Abdul-Karim Ssentamu was gunned down outside the William street mosque.
Since then, nearly a dozen Sheikhs have been killed by unknown assailants and the police have in most cases linked the killings to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group.
Without a solid investigation report, the police’s narrative has been disputed by sections of the Muslim community.
Sheikh Abaasi Nseera, the Imam of the Masaka Main Mosque spoke against the renewed arrest of Muslims over tramped up charges.
“Many of us are out on bail, some people don’t want us to talk about certain issues. Because some people want to sell off Muslim properties, they have resorted to framing those who speak out against it,” Sheikh Nseera said.
Speaking, the LOP urged Muslims to remain firm in their demand for justice and proper management of their properties.
“The targeted arrests and extrajudicial killing of Muslims for alleged terrorism among other reasons are only intended to intimidate you; If the state is keen on fighting terrorism, it should start by prosecuting the terrorists who were involved in the war that led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans in Luweero,” Mpuuga said.
He reiterated calls for an accountability of Ugandans who have died under questionable circumstances notably the Mukura massacre of July 1989, the November 2016 killings in Kasese and those of November 2020.
The event was graced by MPs Ronald Evans Kanyike (Bukoto East), Juliet Nakabuye Kakande (Masaka City), Joan Namutaawe (Masaka district) and Abubaker Kawalya (Rubaga North).
