Following a heated confrontation on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Akol stunned the public and his colleagues with inflammatory statements in the media, not only expressing no remorse but further escalating the situation by threatening Zaake's life.
'I don't regret what I did to Zaake. I could even kill him if I had a chance,' Akol said and He went on to imply that Zaake might be suffering from mental health issues, suggesting he should be admitted to Butabika Hospital, Uganda's national mental health facility.
Akol declared he was "well trained" and capable of taking on all members of the National Unity Platform (NUP) at once, singling out Francis Zaake as a specific target.
"I can even beat up all NUP MPs if they can all come at once. I have no problem with killing, so Zaake should be careful with me," Akol boasted.
The confrontation between Akol and Zaake began during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, when Zaake raised concerns about a potential firearm in the chamber, fearing for the safety of lawmakers.
He approached Speaker Anita Among to voice his suspicions, suggesting that someone might have brought a weapon into the session, which was about to debate the controversial National Coffee (Amendment) Bill 2024.
Speaker Among called a brief recess to conduct a security check, which yielded no firearm. However, when Zaake returned to his seat, he found it occupied by Akol, leading to a verbal exchange that quickly spiraled into a physical altercation.
Zaake was later rushed to St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, where he is currently receiving medical treatment, and has since announced plans to pursue legal action against Akol.
These shocking remarks have ignited widespread condemnation, particularly as Akol drew on his past as a former child soldier in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group infamous for its brutal violence and forced abductions under warlord Joseph Kony in Northern Uganda.
The National Unity Platform and human rights advocates have swiftly condemned the statements, warning that such rhetoric reflects a dangerous normalization of violence in Uganda's political arena and taps into deeply painful memories of the LRA's atrocities.
As of now, there have been no official statements from Ugandan political parties, human rights organizations, or government officials condemning MP Anthony Akol's recent threats against MP Francis Zaake. The incident has sparked public concern, but formal responses from key stakeholders are yet to be issued.
This is not the first time Zaake has faced violence in Uganda's parliament. Known for his outspoken stance on human rights and criticism of President Yoweri Museveni's administration, Zaake has been a frequent target of both verbal and physical attacks.
In 2017, he was part of a chaotic session over a proposed amendment to remove the presidential age limit, sustaining injuries while security forces attempted to remove him.
In 2019, he was hospitalized after a physical altercation within parliament, and in 2020, he was injured again by security forces who reportedly attempted to remove him from his home during COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Sam K Nkurunziza
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/ugandan-parliament-in-turmoil-as-mp-threatens-to-kill-colleague
