By Sekaggya Seka Moses
The President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Isaac Ssemakade, has issued a passionate appeal to religious leaders in Uganda to break their silence and speak out against state brutality and human rights abuses, following a recent attack on National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) and his supporters.
Over the weekend, Bobi Wine was attacked by goons and security forces, including personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), who were armed with sticks and beat up his supporters. This incident sparked widespread outrage and concern.
In a statement, Ssemakade expressed disappointment and concern over the silence of religious leaders in the face of violence and brutality perpetrated by security forces against unarmed citizens, particularly supporters of Bobi Wine.
“For far too long, when the military and police descended upon unarmed citizens beating, arresting, torturing, and even killing them during the election campaigns, your pulpits remained quiet,” Ssemakade said.
“Your voices, which have historically shaken mountains and guided nations, fell silent while the blood of Ugandan children cried out from the streets.”
Ssemakade emphasized that silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality, but complicity. He urged religious leaders to reclaim their prophetic voice, stand with the victims, demand accountability, and denounce state brutality unequivocally.
“When the state becomes abusive, it is the duty of moral leaders to speak boldly, to condemn wrongdoing, to defend the oppressed, and to remind leaders, civilian or military, that power belongs to the people and must never be used to terrorize them,” he said.
Ssemakade called on religious leaders to act as defenders of justice, shepherds of the people, and champions of truth, rather than remaining silent or acting as chaplains of the state.
His statement sparked widespread reaction, with many calling on religious leaders to heed Ssemakade’s call and speak out against injustice.
The Uganda Law Society is a professional organization that brings together lawyers in Uganda to promote justice, human rights, and the rule of law.
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