FDC's Mugumya still under investigation

By Alfred Wandera

The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party official, Sam Mugumya, incarcerated in Kinshasha in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is still undergoing investigations, government said Tuesday.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Fred Opolot, told New Vision that the government of DRC confirmed to Kampala that they were still investigating circumstances under which Mugumya was found in the jungles on the DRC when he was arrested.

"Mugumya is still in jail in Kinshasha, according to the information we got from the DRC government. He was moved to Kinshasha after his arrest in eastern DRC. But our embassy in Kinshasha has been allowed to provide necessary consular support to him and ensure that he is in good health," said Opolot in a telephone interview.

Opolot said consular support to Mugumya involves monitoring him to ensure that he receives justice, asking DRC government to provide him with legal representation and getting in touch with his relatives.

Coordinator of Activists for Change (A4C), an opposition pressure group that last year spearheaded the aborted petitioning of the DRC embassy in Kampala demanding for release of Mugumya, told New Vision that Shadow Attorney General, Abdu Kantuntu and Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Wafula Oguttu, were supposed to lead an opposition delegation to Kinshasha to negotiate for Mugumya's release.

However, Katuntu yesterday declined to provide details of the planned Kinshasha visit, but added that last year, he wrote to the DRC embassy in Kampala seeking a confirmation of the charges pressed against Mugumya, his health condition and whether he would be produced in court, but to date, he has not yet got any response.

Katuntu noted that Wafula has since taken over the matter. When contacted, Wafula said he may visit the DRC Parliament in Kinshasha next month with his Shadow Cabinet to benchmark on electoral reforms and how their Parliament is managed.

However, Wafula was quick to deny that his planned visit that will require consent of the Uganda Parliament and clearance by the Ministry of foreign Affairs will be specific to handle Mugumya's release.

Last year, upon Mugumya's arrest in DRC, army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, announced that Mugumya was arrested by the Congolese army for planning a rebellion.

It is alleged that Mugumya was detained after he was found with dollars and documents with information that he was going to organize the People's Redemption Army (PRA) remnants to overthrow the Government of Uganda.

At the time, FDC secretary general, Alice Alaso, insisted that Mugumya was kidnapped by Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and taken to Congo where he was framed.

Opposition leader Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye has since appealed to the DRC President Joseph Kabila and international human rights organizations to intervene in a matter involving his political assistant.

Besigye appealed to the DR Congo government and President Joseph Kabila to get involved in ensuring that Mugumya is safe and his rights are protected and be produced in court.

According to UPDF, Mugumya, the political assistant to Col. Besigye was arrested in Beni, eastern DRC alongside four other Ugandans hailing from Rukungiri district.

But Besigye had earlier said that Rukungiri neighbors DRC and could not rule out the possibility that Mugumya was kidnapped and taken there.