I have watched with dismay the video of MP Francis Zaake causing drama in parliament while demanding what he called “abducted NUP supporters”.
This is not the first time Zaake is behaving this way in parliament, and I think he is always seeking attention from the media, public and the international community. For a person to be elected member of parliament, I believe they should be knowing how to conduct themselves before the public even when not satisfied with something.
What could Zaake lose if he listened to the deputy speaker of parliament who is the presiding officer? I believe he refused to listen to the deputy speaker so that he makes noise and causes a dramatic scene on the floor of parliament so that it can be captured by the camera.
I think and I feel that MP Zaake is surely in a wrong place based on how he has been behaving for the few years he has been in parliament. During the age limit removal debate, he and his principal Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine led violence in parliament that ended up causing a collision between MPs and the security that protects parliament.
It seems they enjoyed that drama and they would want to continue. Similarly, recently at the UN committee of human rights, two women who were donning NUP t-shirts stormed the chambers of the UN committee in protest, interfering with the proceedings of the committee. These were later detained by police and the chairperson of the committee made an apology to Ugandans.
Even when one is defending human rights or has something disturbing him, he or she must follow rules and have discipline in presenting his issues to the public. Soon the people will be made to know that these events are pre-planned and are always intended as the deputy speaker said in his remarks, these amateur politicians are always looking for political capital they get from Ugandans whom they’ve turned gullible.
At the NUP headquarters, people have been paraded and seen holding placards with the images of some individuals whom they claim are missing. Recently, the country was shocked when one of the people carried the image of Eric Omondi, a comedian in Kenya also demanding where he is, that he is among those who have been abducted.
This was a clear indication that some of those images are always doctored with the intention to appeal to the public and the foreign funders that so many supporters of NUP are missing. Zaake should also explain to the public why only selected few people are picked up by the security and not all the supporters. He should be kind enough to inform the gullible supporters that the people who are picked up by security indeed have cases to answer and the state will always account for all the people who are arrested.
If anybody wants to remain free and enjoy all his rights, they should stop involving themselves in any acts of criminality or any act that demeans or disrespects the government in power in a manner which is illegal or not recognized by the law. Otherwise, the government and the security forces would look useless if they didn’t deal with the individuals who involve themselves in criminal acts.
Nobody wins the presidency by causing drama. Good enough, in Uganda, we have opposition politicians who have never collided with security forces not because they’re pro-government but because they’re disciplined and principled. People like Gen Mugisha Muntu have been in opposition for many years but you can never hear them colliding with police or causing drama anywhere. Those who are obsessed with violence have nicknamed them “moles”.
The writer is a deputy RDC Sheema district
Source: The Observer