Former Minister of Internal Affairs and Orungo County Member of Parliament Jeje Odongo has revealed that the government is not ready to release political prisoners despite calls from other leaders and the public.
During the Eid-el Fitri celebrations, the former mufti of Uganda Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje pleaded with president Yoweri Museveni to order the release of all political prisoners who were arrested during campaigns, elections, and after.
However, Jeje Odongo while speaking to journalists on Thursday after his inauguration as Orungo County MP responded to the plea saying it is not possible.
Odongo says the law has to take its course and all prisoners must answer to the crimes they have committed.
Odongo says that they cannot just release suspects, and yet these are people with links to certain criminal events.
He asked that due process is followed and the suspects are all tried before the courts of law so that those that are not guilty are released.
In March Odongo tabled a list of 177 people held in different facilities and were reportedly thought to be missing or kidnapped.
This number was however contested by legislators in the 10th parliament who insisted that their constituents have recorded higher numbers of missing persons who are not on the list.
