Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi Addresses Government’s Response to Key Issues

While appearing on Today’s NBS Morning Breeze, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, provided insights into the government’s handling of critical issues. Addressing concerns about recent events, he defended the government’s actions, emphasizing the need for law and order. Key points from his statements included:

1. Accountability for Arrests: Dr. Baryomunsi stated that the government can account for all individuals it arrests.

2. Opposition Actions: He questioned the opposition’s strategy of walking out of Parliament, stating that this isn’t the first time such actions have been taken and questioning their effectiveness.

3. Handling of Opposition Leader: Regarding Robert Kyagulanyi’s arrest at Entebbe Airport, the Minister acknowledged that he didn’t agree with how the situation was handled but highlighted the potential for worse outcomes had Kyagulanyi been allowed to proceed with the 1 million march as is could potentailly cause distraction of property or even loss of lives at worst.

4. Missing Persons: Dr. Baryomunsi noted that there are existing laws to address missing persons and encouraged people to report such cases to the police instead of press conferences.

5. People Claimed as Missing: He suggested that some individuals reported as missing may be in the diaspora for reasons other than politics and referred to the Uganda Human Rights Commission’s report that some allegedly missing people were found at home.

6. Altercation Between Ministers: He characterized the public dispute between Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and Minister for General Duties Justine Kasule Lumumba as a minor issue, explaining it was a result of media reports about the size of the delegation sent to the UN General Assembly.

He clarified that the delegation list included individuals from various sectors and organizations, not just government officials.

“It was not true that the people who went to the UN General Assembly were 71. I think what the media got was the list of accredited officials.

These included people from civil society, our staff from the New York and Washington offices, and other people who were paid for by the UN and other agencies.” Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi said.