As a former Secretary to the NRM’s Nairobi-based External Committee in 1984-1986, it is easy for me to track NRM’s continuing contradictions on women’s based human rights in Uganda.

I recall that a few days after the 1995 Christmas holiday, the then Chairman of NRM (now President Museveni of Uganda) summoned all members of our Committee to his temporary residence near University of Nairobi’s Chiromo Campus. He hastily told us that the NRA (military wing of the NRM) had rejected the ‘Peace Agreement’ which had been signed by himself on behalf of the NRM, and the then President of Uganda, Tito OkelloLutwa, under the Chairmanship of President Daniel Moi of Kenya.

One of the major reasons why the NRA had rejected the said accord was because the Gen. Tito Okello Lutwa junta had not ceased to violate the basic human rights of Uganda especially those of women and children. One of the accusations was that the junta had sanctioned slashing of women’s breast in some parts of Eastern Uganda!!

Indeed, throughout the peace discussions, from 23rd August to 17th December 1985, we, on the NRM side maintained that the NRM/NRA had been fighting for over 4 years in the bush (Luweero Triangle) for the purpose of restoring the rule of law in Uganda which would enable us to promote good governance and democracy in Uganda.

Earlier, in the bush days, the NRA had issued a stiff law that proclaimed that there was no free woman in Uganda for NRA to play with. ‘Every woman in Uganda is either somebody’s wife or somebody’s daughter’, so the law stated.

Alas, as soon as the NRA/NRM seized power in January 1986, things begun to change rapidly, like what happened in George Orwell’s famous novel ‘Animal Farm’. The stern laws which had been strictly enforce in the bush days, begun to disappear.

There have also been some bizarre stories about NRM’s civilian cadres visa vis Ugandan women. One female RDC (a presidential representative) in Eastern Region in the 1990’s allegedly pulled out one of her breasts from her brassier to district councilors. She allegedly advised the women councilors in particular on how showing their breasts to men would induce them to surrender their land titles to them!!

Yet in many communities in the world, a woman’s breasts are sacred parts on her body which no one should touch without her permission.

It is therefore not proper for NRM leaders not to condemn unreservedly the indecent treatment which was recently extended to Ms. Ingrid Turinawe, when one of her breasts was fondled by someone in Uganda Police uniform. Whether the offence was committed by a female or male Police Officer is immaterial; no of them was given permission to do so by Ms. Turinawe.

Since President Museveni has been heaping a lot of praise on Major General Kale Kayihura (Uganda’s Inspector of Police) as one of the best NRM cadres in the country, he should allow himself to believe that insulting Turinawe’s body was a small matter.

Furthermore, President Museveni is in the best position to remember NRM’s original ideals about the need to preserve basic human rights for women; to assess where the ongoing movement for gender equality has reached, and to understand how ICT has clearly transformed the world into one global village. It is possible that some citizens, even in remote countries like the Polynesian Islands have already read about the ugly Turinawe incident and can be mobilized internationally to fight against the decaying code of conduct within the NRM leadership.

By Frank Nabwiso