Opposition Members of the 11th parliament have today Friday overwhelmingly turned up for the retreat, that is happening at Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel in Entebbe.
The two-day retreat that is ongoing is open to all opposition MPs, and those with no political party affiliations, but reason the same way like their opposition counterparts.
Key opposition figureheads like Maj. Gen (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), former Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza among others are in attendance.
The retreat was organised with a prime goal of reviewing the conduct of opposition MPs, regarding the execution of roles entrusted to them by their respective electorates.
It is also directed towards finding a long lasting solution to allegations of sustained torture, meted against opposition figure heads and their supporters.
The retreat comes at the backdrop of the opposition efforts to canvass for signatures, needed to censure security minister, Gen Jim Muhwezi, due to his failure to reign in efforts of security agencies, precipitating torture, abuse of human rights and violation of the law.
It also comes at a time when MP for Kilak North Anthony Akol rejected opposition demands to boycott plenary over abuse of human rights by security agencies, citing he was not consulted prior to the boycott.
The Shadow minister for Information and also Mityana woman Member of Parliament Joyce Bagala says the retreat will defuse internal bickering within the opposition circles.
She further reveals that as opposition, it is intended to extinguish divisionism’s among MPs, paving way for concerted and joint resolutions in parliament, vital for furthering opposition ends.
She adds that they have secured experts, with high political acumen, who will lecture them on crucial matters, including execution of their parliamentary roles, most especially fulfilling needs of their respective electorates.
“We have converged here in a special retreat, first with the aim of deliberating the most pertinent and trending happenings in the country, and what we can do as opposition, to steer the country towards development,” Bagala said.
Leader of opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, notes that the major aim of the retreat is to enable opposition political figure heads interact, share views and ideas, get to know each other, which according to him is crucial in forging a united front during deliberations in parliament.
“The aim of this retreat……..but more critical for me, is to interact. I am very sure, that there are colleagues here who have never met each other,” says Mpuuga.
According to reliable sources inside National Unity Platform (NUP) political party, Robert Kyagulanyi, the party president will address the retreat via zoom from Brussels, Belgium.
