Pig protesters demand apology
A section of Human rights activists in Uganda claiming responsibility for a coloured piglet dumped at Parliamentary Avenue on Wednesday afternoon are demanding an apology from the Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
Two unidentified male youths traveling on a Boda Boda reportedly dumped a pig painted yellow on the backside and red on the mouth and snout before swiftly fleeing to an unknown destination on the same motorcycle.
Now, a member attached to Lubaga Social Justice Center, a human rights body dealing with human rights violations has boldly claimed responsibility for the incident.
Habib Buwembo a human rights activist working with the organisation told the Daily Monitor that the pig was delivered at parliamentary avenue as a protest targeted at the actions of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon Anita Among for uttering mocking statements in the August house against Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake.
He claims Hon Among made it personal when she mocked a tortured Mp during a plenary discussion on torture and is demanding a public apology by Friday this week.
“We launched a campaign called ‘stop mocking victims of torture’ and this campaign is targeting Hon Among,The pig incident is also a mockery on her until she apologises, We have given her until Friday February this week to say sorry. If she doeskin, we shall continue with protests,” he said
Buwembo explains that the yellow colour on the pig represents the ruling NRM Party to which Among subscribes while the red is her signature red lipstick worn during plenary.
However, Parliamentary Director for Communication Chris Obore says Hon Among has no grounds to issue an apology as she offended no one.
Pig protesters demand apology
“What she said was a statement of fact that the Hon Zaake won a gold medal during the East African Parliamentary games,”he states
Hon Among was reacting during the 8th debate on a torture statement tabled by the Acting Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Muruli Mukasa.
She suggested that much as Zaake was tortured, he was able to win a gold medal.
”Much as he was tortured, he was able to give us a gold medal, he ran at the East Africa Parliamentary games, and won the medal for Parliament of Uganda and with a broken leg. I am appreciating my member that he brought us a gold medal,” Among spoke amidst giggles from other legislators during a previous plenary session.
Hon Zaake is currently under Parliaments’ disciplinary committee for statements he uttered via his twitter page towards the person of the Deputy Speaker for reportedly mocking him parliament. He also faces impeachment from the position of the Parliamentary Commissioner following his statements.
The MP’s are accusing Zaake of attacking the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon Anita Among by uttering harsh statements on social media against her. Bardege-Layidi Division MP, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi (ind) are moving a motion to remove Zaake from office.
Zaake took his war to twitter and responded; “To my consternation, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament while presiding over a session of parliament controverted the finding of High Court in Suit No. 85 of 2020 that I was tortured by sarcastically stating but with the utmost level of recklessness that though tortured, Won a medal in E.A @Parliament_Ug games,” reads part of Zaake’s tweet.
He later named her a dishonest person who acted with idiocy before the entire nation.
“The utter bunkum emanating from her dishonest lips was only intended to mock and break me down, this is idiocy! Parliament deserves better, how a person of her caliber lack intelligent prowess to appreciate that healing is a natural phenomenon,” reads part of Zaake’s tweets.
