KAMPALA — Police have said Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo has the list of all persons who were kidnapped by security personnel.
Addressing journalists in Kampala on Monday, 01 March 2021, police spokesman Fred Enanga said the minister is expected to release the list to Parliament this week.
“Towards the end of last week, the minister met the various service chiefs and this list was forwarded to him. He will present it before Parliament. The list mentions the number of people arrested, those charged and on remand plus those who were released. The minister will give all those details to parliament,”Enanga said.
Asked why he can’t give a copy of the list to journalists, he said: “I can’t usurp the powers of the Internal Affairs Minister because he has the list and he will present it before parliament.”
The development comes as relatives to the missing persons continue to express concern over the whereabouts of their loved ones.
On February 13, while addressing the nation on security issues, President Museveni admitted that the people who had been reported “kidnapped” were actually arrested by security agencies for various crimes and were in detention. He said the detainees were planning anarchy in the country during or after the elections.
Many have expressed fear that the condition of their loved ones is not good as they suspect that they could have tortured during and after arrest.
Police and the army have for weeks disagreed on who holds the missing persons and who should release the list bearing their names. The police have been reluctant to release the list unless the army handed over the physical suspects to enable police establish whether the list they received from the army matches with the people in detention.
More than 100 people were abducted by security personnel driving Toyota vans commonly known as drones ahead of last month’s General Election. Majority were abducted after the November 18 and 19 violent protests last year following the arrest of former opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine. Majority are still missing.