Former Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has explained his decision to leave Uganda, saying he needed a break from what he described as persistent threats of arrest.Ssemujju, who is Secretary General of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), said threats allegedly linked to CDF Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba made him fear becoming a “guest of the military basement.”“There were constant threats from the CDF that I’m next (to be arrested)… and I needed to take a break from these threats,” Ssemujju said in an interview with NMG-Uganda.
He said the arrests and detention of opposition figures, including Dr Kizza Besigye, Erias Lukwago and Muwanga Kivumbi, increased his concerns about his own safety.“I’m out, and I think I will be making better contributions from where I am instead of returning and either keeping quiet or being taken to the basement,” he said.Ssemujju did not disclose his current location but said he had chosen to remain outside Uganda despite being separated from his family.He also argued that Uganda’s political space has become increasingly restrictive, saying some opposition figures have been forced into silence while others have left the country.
“I think competitive politics in Uganda has ended. I only hope that those in power can step back and rescue the country by returning to the democratic and constitutional path,” he said.However, NRM spokesperson Emmanuel Dombo rejected claims that Uganda’s political space is shrinking, arguing that opposition politicians remain free to criticize government and should use platforms such as the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) to raise their concerns.
Human rights activist Dr Livingstone Sewanyana, meanwhile, said allegations of abductions, disappearances and mistreatment of opposition supporters have created fear among some Ugandans and urged government to guarantee citizens’ rights and freedoms.
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