WE, the members of Ggwanga Mujje, Boston Chapter, Massachusetts are shocked and dismayed to learn of the arbitrary arrest of 3 ministers of the Buganda Government, immediately following the successful conclusion on July 18, 2008 of the inaugural international Buganda conference held at the Africana Hotel in Kampala, Uganda.

Under arrest are the following Buganda Government officials: Hon. Charles Mayiga - Minister of information and Cabinet & Lukiiko Affairs, Hon. Medard Lubega - Minister of State for Information, Muky. Betty Nambooze Bakireke - Chairperson of the Central Civic Education Committee (CCEC).

These individuals are eminent members of the Buganda Government. They have been delegated the task of gathering views from and educating the people on matters concerning the proposed amendments to the Land Act of 1998. The proposed land amendments represent an attempt to disenfranchise Buganda land owners and apply solely to the Buganda region and are abhorred and contested by the people of Buganda. The arrested officials have been outspoken in dissuading the Uganda Covernment from taking such drastic action. These individuals were engaged in democratic debate and lawful execution of their duties.

Uganda has had a history of gross Human Rights Violations, including the so-named Luweero Triangle Killing Fields from which the National Resistance Movement/National Army (NRM/NRA) seized power in 1986. Through dubious maneuvers, the NRM/NRA regime illegally appropriated large chunks of land. These are some of the vital circumstances under which the proposed amendments to the Land Act of 1998 are being advanced. Sadly, this is the backdrop against which arbitrary arrests of Ugandan citizens are being made by the quasi-military police and shadowy security agencies including CMI, the infamous ISO, Black Mamba units reputed for abducting individuals. They are the root cause for the current state politics of fear, intimidation, and suppression of freedom of speech and the right for Ugandans to freely assemble and demonstrate.

Increasingly, Ugandans who speak out against injustices of the Government of Uganda are typically charged with trumped-up allegations of "sedition," "promoting sectarianism," "inciting violence," "treason," and "promoting terrorism." Some of these charges are serious capital offenses which carry maximum jail sentences and the possibility of the death penalty. Consequently, they deserve the utmost care in deliberation and dispensation of justice.

Ggwanga Mujje Boston strongly condemns the arrest of citizens without due process and joins the Buganda Government and all Ugandans who respect the rule of law in categorically denouncing these illegal detentions.

We hope that the arrest of these individuals is not another attempt to thwart the voice of the people of Uganda by muzzling their messengers. We are even more concerned about the fact that the Ministers' whereabouts, as of now, are not known to the public, reminding us of the many disappearances of innocent citizens in the dark days of the dictatorial rule of Idi Amin and Milton Obote.

These recent actions are a continued pattern of the Uganda government's poor human rights record as confirmed by the U.S.State Department, including instances of torture and abuse of suspects by security forces; vigilante justice; official impunity; arbitary arrest; restrictions on the right to a fair trial and on freedoms of speech, press, and association; detaining of Ugandans in IDP camps; restrictions on opposition parties; electoral intimidation and irregularities; and rampant government corruption.

We urge the Government of Uganda to abide by its Constitution and cease the heedless persecution of lawful Uganda citizens engaged in lawful and democratic debate of national issues.

We demand that the 3 ministers be given due process of law including:

# Duly being charged as required by the Constitution
# Making their whereabouts known
# Providing access to legal counsel
# A speedy and just trial and
# Due Justice under Ugandan law

We, the members of Ggwanga Mujje, Boston demand that the right of Ugandan citizens to freely demonstrate and express their views without fear of intimidation by the Uganda Government, be respected as is guaranteed in the Uganda Constitution.

When ONE Ugandan Citizen Loses their Human Rights - ALL Ugandans Lose their Rights.