Awori Admits Killing LCs

Feb 06, 2002

THE Samia Bugwe North member of Parliament, Aggrey Awori, yesterday said he killed people when he was fighting the Government in the late 1980s.

By Hamis KaheruTHE Samia Bugwe North member of Parliament, Aggrey Awori, yesterday said he killed people when he was fighting the Government in the late 1980s.“Museveni killed people and I killed some of Museveni’s people. For two years there were no LCs in my area because I did not believe in their system,” Awori told a public dialogue at Hotel Africana.The dialogue was organised by Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) to discuss the Political Parties and Organisations Bill. Several MPs attended.Awori, a former Ugandan ambassador to Brussels under the Obote II regime, belonged to Force Obote Back Again (FOBA), a rebel group that fought against the NRA/NRM during the latter’s first years in power.Defence minister Amama Mbabazi said during last year’s presidential campaigns that Awori deserved no vote because he killed LCs in his home area of Busia. Awori, one of the six presidential candidates at the time, denied the charges, saying the LCs were killed by defeated UNLA troops who formed FOBA’s military wing.Awori’s statement provoked sharp criticism from the Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity, Miria Matembe, who said it was unfortunate for Awori to say some people belong to Museveni.“No person belongs to Museveni except to God. God created us to live in harmony and there is a commandment in the Bible that never shall thou kill,” Matembe said.Awori’s confession was prompted by the Movement’s director of information, Ofwono Opondo.Ofwono said Awori should be grateful to the Government for bringing him back from exile and housing him at Nile Hotel for some time.“Who brought me back from exile? I came back home on my own and negotiated with them some guarantees like security of person and property,” Awori replied.“I stayed in Nile Hotel because my houses in Kololo and Kibimba were still being occupied by NRA. I lost sh480m in stolen property. As former ambassador, I sent my things from Brussels in four containers and they ended up in NRA hands. I have records and they acknowledged receipt,” he added.The debate was part of a brainstorming process through which MPs and the public exchanges views before controversial Bills are discussed in Parliament.Presenters were Ofwono, Zam Zam Nagujja also from the Movement Secretariat, and Spencer Turwomwe, a former parliamentary candidate for Igara East and former security advisor on Col. Kizza Besigye’s national campaign task force.The UJCC Secretary General, Rev. Grace Kaiso, said his organisation would continue to support efforts geared towards good governance.John Kazoora (Kashari) said he wanted political parties to operate up to the village level.“The Sixth Parliament recommended that parties be allowed to go to the district and I can see the Seventh Parliament recommending them to the villages,” he said.“I for one will speak for it. If the Movement has achieved all the good things we talk about, why can’t we go to the people and compete fairly?” he asked.The Minister of State for Agriculture, Kibirige Ssebunya, warned Okullo Epak (Oyam South) that people would stone him and his party colleagues to death if they dared go to his home area in Matugga, Luweero, to talk about the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).Ends

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