Jan 12, 2025
They wondered how a young party like ours would place Ssegirinya above known politicians. But I stood my ground and told them I would never overturn the voice of the people, which was very clear.
As we stand here today, I am very proud that we have been vindicated. In fact, we were vindicated in the first few months of Ssegirinya in Parliament. He immediately embarked on serving the people of Kawempe North with dedication. He invested in healthcare, in economic empowerment, in community service- responsibilities that should ordinarily fall on the shoulders of a functional government. But as we all know, we have an absent government, so leaders have to step in. He visited the sick, the poor and the hungry.
Ssegirinya was a true representation of what we stand for as People Power- being the voice for the common person. He spoke for the boda-bodas, the market people, the downtrodden. It is this attitude that earned him so many friends, and enemies alike.
Before long, the regime conspired with some politicians whom he repeatedly told us about. They arrested him, tortured him, and eventually sent him to his early grave. Like I said at our headquarters the other day, Ssegirinya did not enjoy even one day of his tenure as an MP. He has spent all his time as an MP either in prison or in hospital, until he gave up the fight.
I hope Gen. Museveni feels proud of what he did to Ssegirinya! For the two years he was in jail, we asked the regime to prosecute them. To produce any evidence that they participated in the killings in Masaka. But the regime did not produce that evidence because it was not there! As you all recall, some of the young men, who the regime paraded as witnesses against them, boldly told court that they were paraded by the regime and told to lie that it was Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana who sent them to kill people in Masaka. At a subsequent hearing, they attempted to speak but were silenced. The judge who allowed them speak the first time was transferred and another brought. They were repeatedly denied bail, even when Ssegirinya presented all evidence that his life was going away. Gen. Museveni came out on TV condemning the grant of bail, thereby intimidating the judges. But as they say, they can only walk on your back when you bend it. Even those judges who repeatedly denied them bail are as oppressive as Museveni who detained them. If you're a judge worth your salt, Museveni would rather deny you a promotion, than you send Ssegirinya to an early grave. You would rather flee to exile like Justice Esther Kisakye, than be used as a tool of oppression. That is why we celebrate Chief Justice Ben Kiwanuka who was killed for staying true to his judicial oath. What happened to Uganda? Where are those judges who can still stand to defend the Constitution?
Therefore, Ssegirinya joins the long list of prominent and ordinary Ugandans murdered by the Museveni regime. Some are murdered openly, others secretly. Some are murdered very quickly, others face slow painful deaths. Some are murdered with bullets, others with poison.
Maama Ssegirinya joins the many parents who are grieving- their children murdered by the Museveni regime! You all saw her video leading a lone protest at Parliament, not once or twice. She came weeping, saying that her son's life was going away. But the regime did not care!
Ssegirinya's children join the very long list of children orphaned by Museveni’s regime of blood. The prayers these little children will make every day before they sleep, will never let him have peace. The other day, while Museveni’s son was tweeting very shameful things on Twitter, a priest called me and asked me, "With all the atrocities he has committed, why are you surprised that God has chosen to punish him that way?" He told me that the tears, pain, and prayers of the orphaned children and the widowed mothers will always haunt Museveni and his family until they repent.
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