Ssewanyana, Ssegirinya make first Parliament appearance since incarceration

National Unity Platform (NUP) Members of Parliament Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye East) have returned to Parliament to represent their constituencies after their prison release.

The two MPs spent 16 months on remand at Kitalya Prison before their release on February 13, 2023. They were arrested on allegations that they had masterminded the murders in Greater Masaka region in 2021.

At a press conference last week, the MPs denied allegations that their release was brokered. They said no negotiations took place between themselves, their representatives and the government to secure their release.

There weren’t any negotiations prior to our release, Ssegirinya told journalists. “We were released because of the constant pressure that came from our people, the media, and the international community,” he said.

Ssewanyana said the people who were talking about the negotiations had selfish interests. “Why would I pay UGX 20 million and my passport withheld if there were negotiations?” he questioned.

“It was the first time I heard about that. Why would we negotiate? I am innocent. Our lawyers requested bail, and bail was granted. It’s so sad that some leaders use such situations to spread propaganda,” he added.

But despite the two years in prison and the sickness, Ssewanyana said they are not broken politically. “To the people in our constituencies, thank you for speaking up for us, and we promise to compensate for these two years we have been jailed.”