Police in Uganda hold two lawmakers on treason charges

The members of parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana, are members of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) led by pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine. "We're holding them on charges of treason and inciting violence, they are being interrogated in regard to those actions," police spokesman Fred Enanga said.

Police in Uganda said on Tuesday they had re-arrested two opposition lawmakers on treason charges days after courts had granted them bail for separate charges that critics called politically motivated. The members of parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana, are members of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) led by pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine.

"We're holding them on charges of treason and inciting violence, they are being interrogated in regard to those actions," police spokesman Fred Enanga said. "We will take them to court as soon we have concluded our investigations and their file processed."

Opposition lawmakers on Tuesday staged a walk-out in protest of the move. "Every citizen of this country is a prisoner," NUP tweeted on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, both lawmakers were detained and charged with murder following a spate of unsolved killings that have stoked widespread public alarm. They pleaded not guilty. At least 26 people died around the town of Masaka in central Uganda, an opposition stronghold that voted overwhelmingly for Wine in his challenge of incumbent Yoweri Museveni in the January presidential election.

NUP has said the killings and accusations against the lawmakers were a plot to incriminate their officials and keep them in jail. Security officials said the lawmakers' co-perpetrators implicated them during interrogations. After spending more than two weeks in jail, a court granted both men bail last week.

Soon after Ssewanyana stepped outside the prison on Thursday, he was surrounded by security officers who took him away to an unknown location. Ssegirinya was released on Monday, and was also re-arrested moments after being freed from jail.

Critics and rights activists have accused Museveni's government of continuing a crackdown on opposition supporters long after the election which was marred by violence and described by allies including the United States and the European Union as neither free nor fair. Museveni, 77, has been Uganda's president since 1986 and his ruling party has been facing mounting opposition pressure from Wine, 39, who has exploited his youthful energy and star power to amass support.

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