Published on 24/05/2025
https://x.com/NkunyingiMuwad1/status/1926979014951854237Kyadondo South MP and shadow foreign-affairs minister Muwada Nkunyingi has criticised European Union diplomats for turning to Gen. Salim Saleh—President Museveni’s brother—for protection after threats from First Son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Speaking at Parliament on 23 May 2025, Nkunyingi called the diplomats’ 13 May meeting with Saleh in Gulu “a diplomatic blunder” that legitimised “non-constitutional establishments”.
“Foreign diplomats in Uganda should not lend legitimacy to unconventional entities,” he said. “A formal protest note to the Foreign Affairs Ministry would have made your position unmistakably clear.”
Background to the standoff
After EU envoys met National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi on 10 May, Muhoozi allegedly threatened to “withdraw” the lives of Uganda Human Rights Commission officials and to deport the diplomats. Fearing escalation, the envoys sought assurances from Saleh during a business forum in Gulu.
Saleh downplayed Muhoozi’s remarks, blaming them on “excess education” among senior Uganda People’s Defence Forces officers. “We’ve dealt with him before—even the Human Rights Commission felt his wrath,” he said. “It’s not a big issue; perhaps too many degrees have gone to people’s heads.”
Nkunyingi urged foreign missions to keep their capitals apprised of Uganda’s human-rights climate and to channel complaints through official diplomatic channels, not private actors.
He also condemned recent arrests and deportations of East African activists—including Kenya’s Boniface Mwangi and Martha Karua, and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire—who travelled to Tanzania to observe opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason trial.
“These actions undermine the spirit of East African integration,” he said, urging Uganda’s Foreign Affairs and EAC ministries to pursue a regional remedy.
The MP called for immediate aid to 26 Ugandans repatriated after being duped by fake job agents, and pressed the Ugandan embassy in Malaysia to rescue nationals still trapped in Myanmar. He further asked government to issue “frequent, proactive” travel advisories so citizens avoid similar scams.
“Protection must extend beyond high-profile cases,” Nkunyingi concluded. “Ugandans everywhere—and our diplomatic partners—deserve predictable, lawful treatment anchored in our Constitution and international conventions.”
