The remaining nine supporters of the opposition Forum For Democratic Change (FDC) Katonga faction have been granted bail by Buganda Road Magistrates Court.
The group includes FDC-Katonga women’s wing leaders; Ingrid Turinawe and Mugume Rolland.
They were released by Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi who ordered each to pay Shs1 million (noncash), while their sureties were bonded Shs5 million (noncash) and ordered that they return back to court on September 4, 2024.
However, the accused are to be released after providing their original national Identification Cards (IDs), work IDs, passports, and LC1 letters.
The demand has, however, been shot down by the accused’s lawyer Erias Lukwago who told court that his clients were unable to find the said documents since they were on remand.
Speaking after the court session, Lukwago revealed that they will be petitioning the Constitutional Court to challenge the said bail guidelines issued by the Chief Justice.
“It’s a travesty of their justice, these people are incarcerated, their freedoms are curtailed, they cannot in any way talk with their LCs to issue them LC1 letters”, Lukwago noted.
Lukwago says the said guidelines defeat the spirit of Article 28 which confers unfettered jurisdiction on courts of law to grant bail once they are satisfied that the accused persons will not jump bail.
He, however, said that they would comply with the said conditions, but emphasized that such conditions should not be applicable to miner cases like in the case which is a misdemeanor in law.
“It is a petty offence, there is no reason why these leaders should run away from the jurisdiction of court just because they are charged with common nuisance”, Lukawgo said.
He says that the guidelines issued by the Chief Justice are unconstitutional and absurd.
The 14 suspects were arraigned in court on Monday and charged with being a common nuisance but five of them led by the Deputy Kampala Lord Mayor, Doreen Nyanjura, Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, Nicholas Thadeus Kamara MP Kabale Municipality, and Harold Kaija were granted bail.
Prosecution alleges that on August 5, 2024, the 14 suspects acted in a disorderly manner on Katonga Road in Kampala, blocking pathways and inconveniencing others, thus constituting a common nuisance.
