Ssemambo Rashid Sydney alias Papa, a businessman and opposition activitist, has fled the country to exile in a bid to save his life.
This is according to Hon Hillary Kiyaga aka Dr Hilderman, the Member of Parliament for Mawokota North.
Ssemambo was in charge of the general welfare of the presidential campaign team of opposition leader and former Presidential Candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine.
“He left the country for fear of falling victim of torture and killings by the Ugandan security services, just like many of our comrades in the opposition who supported Hon Kyagulanyi and worked hard in campaigns,” MP Kiyaga says.
Ssemambo has been living in fear of being kidnapped and later killed after severally being trailed by military vehicles and people believed to be security operatives.
At the end of last month on the evening of May 24, he survived by a whisker in Kawempe, a Kampala suburb, when two of his friends were picked and whisked away by a speeding military truck to an unknown location. He hasn’t had from them two weeks later, Kiyaga says.
“This was the last threat he could handle. They have trailed him since we concluded the elections in January, reason he has been sleeping in different locations away from his home.”
“The other day, he was arrested only to be released with no charge slapped against him. Why keep traumatizing him? Is it a crime in Uganda to demand for good governance? asked MP Kiyaga?
He says considering the heightened threats on Ssemambo, it was only wise for him to leave for now. “We couldn’t have waited for him to be either killed – I am pleased he left the country and I hope he will get his freedom there,” explains the Lawmaker.
Although, Kiyaga did not delve into details of the country Ssemambo could have gone, it is anticipated that he could be in South Sudan, Kenya or Tanzania.
Sulaiman Kidandala, a Member of the NUP and former contestant of Kawempe North MP seat reiterates says Ssemambo leaving can at least guarantee his safety.
“I hosted him for three weeks but what I personally witnessed was horrible. At some point, we found anonymous letters outside my house in Kyabando with words indicating that security knows that Ssemambo was staying at my house,” Kidandala notes.
He says he would that day ask him to live for his own safety and that of his family.
A family source, which preferred anonymity, told this investigative news website that although Ssemambo has been the breadwinner at home, life supercedes everything.
“We have since opted as a family to contribute to Ssemambo wife and children such that they get food and other basics and I hope we shall sustain it. We are happy he left, we have all been worried about him,” she says.
The hunt for those deemed unfriendly to the establishment did not stop, many of them continue hiding and fearing that the worse could happen to them any time including slapping trumped up charges of treason as it was the case for Bobi Wine and Dr Kizza Besigye, both leading opposition politicians.
Others have illegally been arrested and tortured by security operatives in custody. Dr Stella Nyanzi and Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, both writers, are some of such activists. They were at different times arrested, tortured in detention before fleeing to exile in Germany where are currently stay.
Last year’s election involved kidnapping opposition activists and shooting people dead in Kampala by security personnel.
In November 2020, Ugandan security forces brutally clamped down on people protesting the arrest of opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi, killing 54 people, and injuring scores more.