I’ve been ousted from Commonwealth conference, says MP Nkunyingi

Summary:

• Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi claims he was forcefully denied access to the Commonwealth Conference by Special Forces Command soldiers, stating that opposition members, including himself, were intentionally barred from the event hosted by Uganda at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

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Muwada Nkunyingi, the Member of Parliament representing Kyadondo East, revealed that he was forcefully barred from participating in the ongoing Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Parliaments (CSCOP). The event, hosted by Uganda at Speke Resort Munyonyo, commenced officially today.

Nkunyingi, using his X platform, asserted that soldiers from the Special Forces Command (SFC) prevented him and fellow opposition MPs from entering the conference venue on Thursday afternoon. He claimed that handwritten lists containing names of opposition members, including his own, were used by SFC soldiers to prohibit their entry. Nkunyingi posted on X, stating, “I was forcefully chased by SFC from accessing the ongoing Commonwealth Conference. SFC soldiers had a list of 7 handwritten Opposition names, including mine, not allowed inside. They grabbed me at the entrance and detained me for 30 minutes, surrounded by SFC, who later instructed me to leave.”

Despite being formally invited by the Clerk to Parliament to attend the conference, the National Unity Platform (NUP) MP believes that the intentional denial of access to opposition members was orchestrated. Expressing his concern, Nkunyingi mentioned, “Have just met Hon Lutamagizi; he was also chased away by SFC. What kind of Parliament program is this when some of us are prevented from accessing?”

The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Parliaments aims to bring together the leaders of national parliaments from independent sovereign states within the Commonwealth. President Museveni officially inaugurated the conference earlier today, and it is scheduled to conclude on January 6. Notably, 33 out of the 43 confirmed Speakers have attended the event thus far.

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