Reflecting on the 1976 incident, President Museveni noted that although the hijacking was a tragic event, the rescue operation became a turning point in weakening the grip of former dictator Idi Amin, whose prestige and fear among the population were significantly shaken by the events that followed.
Michael Phillip Lulume Bayigga, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party Deputy President for Buganda region revealed that the declaration of Karua as Persona Non Grata doesn’t represent Uganda as a leading actor in the East African Community, which guarantees the East Africans the freedom of movement.
“To ensure that our leaders are completely isolated from robust legal representation, the state has denied entry to our international lead counsel, Senior Counsel Martha Karua, at Entebbe International Airport. By blocking an international jurist, the regime has signaled its absolute contempt for international legal standards and regional protocols,” the statement read in part.
“We also thank the sister parties, the opposition in particular, coming out to condemn and demand the release of our party President, Lukwago. Some parties have held press conferences and have written statements to pressure security to release Lukwago,” Lulume said.
The court, however, revealed that 18 other accused in the cases of the Nsambya assault and Makindye robbery were still at large and yet to be apprehended by the police.