By Mulengera Reporters
In his weekly Weekend Vision column, government spokesman Ofwono Opondo has disputed Justice Minister Norbert Mao’s proposal to have Uganda Law Society President Isaac Ssemakadde pardoned and be negotiated with. In the same column, Opondo says that Ssemakadde made his bed and he should be allowed time to lie in it and becomes a reformed person while learning to be more respectful of others.
He adds that Ssemakadde’s brovado, like that of Male Mabirizi of yesteryears, was informed by desire for media publicity and quick political stardom. He wonders why Ssemakadde declared war on AG Kiwanuka Kiryowa, CJ Owinyi Dollo and DPP Jane Frances Abodo when as a lawyer he clearly knew there would be severe consequences.
Opondo makes reference to the fact that “eggs have to be broken to make good omelet,” in order to justify the predicament of Ssemakadde who he brands as a coward and not the fearless legal rebel he always proclaimed him to be, which is why he is now in self-imposed exile instead of returning to Uganda to face the law.
Opondo says that media publicity should never deceive anyone into inflating themselves because it’s always temporary. Opondo also refers to Dr. Kizza Besigye whose #FreeBesigye online campaign he mockingly says came to an end and life continued. He also accuses Dr. KB of trying to use his own hunger strike in a bid to blackmail Gen Museveni into releasing him which never happened.
He also downplays Gen MK’s social media posts threatening to make Dr. KB a political martyr by hanging him on heros day as mere “cold-sad humor” meant to achieve nothing beyond “psychological warfare.” Opondo also calls on Ssemakadde to eat a humble pie and begin to respect political veterans who have been at the game of grandstanding longer and have paid an even bigger price for standing up to, calling out and antagonising big powerful people in Uganda.
On the possibility of KB dying in prison as a result of the hunger strike, he had gone on, Ofwono Opondo castigates the veteran opposition leader from Rwakabengo for forgeting the fact of life that “dead people get buried and [for others] life moves on.”
The man from Mulanda finishes his column with a reference on Dr. Besigye’s lawyer Eron Kiiza who he says deserves to be pardoned and let go because, unlike his comrade in crime Isaac Ssemakadde who just fled the country at the time he was supposed to be starting on his 2 year jail sentence, “he has served sometime in jail and learnt his lesson [and] ought to be granted parole.” (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
