{UAH} Conservative Party Uganda

CONSERVATIVE PARTY, SATURDAY KIMEZA DEBATE.
THEME; POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN PARTISAN POLITICS WITHIN NRM AND OPPOSITION.
The meeting took place on 5th .04. 2014 at the Conservative Party Headquarters at Nankulabye and it was chaired by the Secretary General of the party, Mr. Ssemusu Mugobansonga.
OPPENING SESSION.
The meeting was opened by the Secretary General, by giving a brief background of the Bimeza Debate In Uganda and the theme of the debate, and thereafter an introduction of all the members present was also conducted.
The Secretary General went a head to give a background of what happened to the NRM Youth league, who were recently arrested by police due to the fact that the Press Conference that they held was illegal. In addition to this, the NRM Youth went a head to have some drinking water within themselves during the debate. Therefore, they were later arrested and charged with, Bribery and an act of corruption.
This prompted the conservative party to call for a debate to so that the conservative should have their say the act of the police and NRM respectively. The debate was opened and these are what the people had to say.
First and foremost, the Secretary General started by expressing his disappointment with the act of the police in interfering with the debate and subsequently arresting the said NRM Youth who were trying to express their minds on some the issues that they felt were of great concern. He quoted article 212 of the 1995 constitution which lays down the role of the police. His concern was in clause d (d) of article 212 which directs the police to cooperate with the civilian authority and other security organs established under the constitution and with the population generally.
According to the Secretary General, the police failed to uphold article 212(d) and instead acted unfairly by interfering with the right to freedom of speech and expression which also includes freedom of the press and media as stipulated in article 29(1)(a),(b) of the 1995 constitution. He therefore suggested that the police should be compelled to explain why the police is acting the way they have done.
A one, Wagweku Isaac, the vice chairman young conservatives said that the police is being used by NRM Government in that they have forgotten the duties they owe to the public but it is instead serving the interest of the government which very unfair. According to him, this is enough evidence that the police is taking sides with the ruling government instead of following the constitution.
Phionah Nambi, the assistant secretary general, paused a question to the people to ask themselves the root causes of the police's action today. According to her, the police is very desperate in a way that they are very greedy for money making them to sideline with the government. She continued to say that the police lacks the spirit of patriotism and as a result, they are no longer serving the interest of people but the government.
According to Athieno Mary Teddy, the Policy analyst of the party, the police has been monopolised. Most of the police officials are from the ruling government hence ending up serving the interest of the government.. She added that the act of the police in preventing the NRM Youth from proceeding with the kimeza debate and further arresting them is a premafacie evident that the rule of law which encompasses the great respect for human rights and freedoms are no longer respected. Something must be done immediately to avoid this unbecoming act of the police.
She continued to say that the act of the police further shows how the NRM Government is turning out to be a dictator. This is evident from the way it is directing the police to suppress the people who are trying to express their freedom of expression. 
Opira Denis, the Vice President Young Conservatives also brought out the issue of Unlawful Assemby. To him, it is like the police is nolonger protecting the interest of the people at large but it is protecting the interest of the government which is very dangerous for a free and democratic state like Uganda as it is said. To him, this shows that peoples' freedoms are at stake if they can not be given the chance to freely associate with the rest. This creats a lotof fear within the people leaving very important issues un attended to because of fear of fear of being arrested.
Mr. Muweesi Abby, The Vice President Central region also brought out a very important point. He quoted constitutional article concerning the police by stating among others that the police's role is to keep law and order, protect people's lives and properties. His disillusionment is with the way police is interfering with the opposition parties and interrupts with peoples' rights to privacy hence affecting them psychologically.
WAY FORWARD.
During the debate, these were some of the issues that the young conservatives felt are of great importance and should be addressed by the government.
The police must be made to explain to the public why they are behaving in an unbecoming way, why are the NRM Youth who were trying to have their peaceful debate being arrested? They should give concrete reasons to that effect.
The police should act fairly. They must warn themselves that they have a great role to protect the citizens without discrimination. They should avoid playing double standards in dispensing justice.
In conclusion, the police in carrying out their functions, they should know that they owe a duty not only to the government but also to the public at large. They should always act within the confine of law but not directly involving themselves into partisan politics. Respect for human rights must be be very core in dispensing justice.

Semusu Mugobansonga

Secretary General 

Conservative Party