By John Stephen Katende

5^th Dec 2011:

File photo: UJCC leaders

Uganda’s top most religious leaders have unanimously rejected the government’s new Public Order Management Bill 2011 that seeks to impose further restrictions on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

The religious leaders, who appeared before parliament’s Committee on Legal & Parliamentary Affairs under their umbrella organisation of Uganda Joint Christian Council [UJCC], called on the government to immediately withdraw the bill because it would, among other things, seriously weaken the country’s democratic evolution.

UJCC argued passionately that if the Bill were to become law, it would it particular deny Ugandans freedom to peacefully demonstrate, protest, and assemble.  Lugazi Diocese Bishop Matthias Ssekamanya said, “…we reject the bill in its entirety and call for its withdrawal…what is in the new law is already in the constitution and changing it will make the constitution cheap.”

The Head of the Department of Human Rights at UJCC Canon Joseph Oneka added that, “…there is no political party that would like to bring the country down.  We are all interested in peace and development. As a country we should be able to engage in dialogue.  We know there have been violent demonstrations but government should find out the causes these demos.  We don’t need a new law.  The existing laws are enough to address the situation.”

The controversial Public Order Management Bill, if passed into law, will also apportion considerable regulatory powers to the Inspector General of Police [IGP] Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura.  This is one of the provisions that have caused UJCC to reject the Bill for fear that it could be abused by security officers who may be sympathetic to the NRM government.

“…We feel that the IGP [Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura] will favour some political parties. He should be impartial but if he refuses them to express themselves, it will infuriate people and possibly fuel more chaos.” said UJCC Secretary General Msgr John Kauta.  President Yoweri Museveni has in the past, indeed, praised IGP Kayihura as one of the best National Resistance Movement [NRM] cadres.

The Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura has always maintained that the new breed of protesters are hell bent on turning parts of the capital into “Tahir Square” to emulate their Egyptian counterparts who dramatically ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30 year rule.  That, Kayihura says, is nothing short of high treason.

Following the last ‘walk-to-work’ protest campaign, Activists for Change [A4C] protest leaders Ingrid Turinawe, Sam Mugumya, and Francis Mwijukye were arrested and charged with treason.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.