Mao To Engage Security Council Over Political Prisoners

Mao To Engage Security Council Over Political Prisoners.

The minister of justice and constitutional affairs Nobert Mao has promised to engage the National Security Council to secure the freedom of the alleged political prisoners said to be rotting in different detention facilities. He also promised justice to the NUP party President Robert Kyagulayi who was allegedly tortured in Arua.

Mao made remarks while facing the parliament’s committee of human rights today which asked him to offer a lasting solution to human rights abuses in the country.

After taking his oath as an ex-officio MP, the new minister of justice and constitutional affairs Nobert Mao began his work with an interface with the parliament’s committee of Human rights where he appeared to respond to recommendations of the Annual Human rights report.

Mao started by giving hope on government commitment to compensate victims of November 2020 riots which claimed over 50 lives as the president pledged. Mao called on parliament to press government to clear the backlog of these compensations which are on the neck of the Uganda Human Rights Commission

However Mao informed the committee that Uganda police was tasked with the responsibility of verifying victims of November 2020 riots. He noted that government cannot rely on the list of victims that was compiled by NUP and they will wait for the verified figure from police which handled casualties

When tasked to explain his way forward on the fate of the alleged political prisoners that have been incarcerated in several detention facilities since elections of 2021, Mao promised to engage the National Security council to secure their freedom.

He also committed to give justice to the NUP party president Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu and the Mityana municipality MP Francis Zaake who were allegedly tortured in Arua during parliamentary by-election of 2018.

Mao has pledged to set up a special Standing committee in Cabinet on Human rights to help in fostering matters of human rights in government and also set up an annual human rights review exercise in government.