Parliament proceeding adjourned over brutal arrest of female lawmakers

Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa on Thursday suspended parliamentary proceedings over the abrupt arrest of 11 opposition lawmakers who were peacefully protesting in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Tayebwa, who adjourned the house until next Tuesday, strongly condemned the manner in which the police arrested the 11 legislators, all female, at the gates of Parliament.

“It was as if they were arresting terrorists. Their arrest was shamelessly done at the gates of Parliament,” said Tayebwa while announcing the adjournment to the parliament.

“So, I don’t know if really, we are safe, if people can be deployed at the gates of Parliament just to beat harmless citizens. The House cannot proceed because of the incident,” he said.

The police arrested the group of female lawmakers as they attempted to walk to deliver a petition early on Thursday to the minister of internal affairs against the police and security enforcement officers’ continued blockage of their activities and mistreatment across the country.

“I don’t think these are people who are working to protect the government or to promote a good image of the government,” said Tayebwa.

“They must be working for an invisible hand that is aimed at bringing down the government because I don’t see any single justification,” he said.

Following the intervention of the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and a directive from the minister of internal affairs, the female lawmakers were released on Thursday afternoon, after spending six hours in the central police station in Kampala.