Muwonge appeared on the same charge sheet with the two legislators and four others facing trial for a string of charges including murder, attempted murder, aiding, and abetting terrorism stemming from their alleged involvement in killings in the district of Lwengo and Masaka between March and June 2021.
Last week, Dr. Singiza didn’t allow Kiyemba to plead to the charges, saying that his court lacked jurisdiction to try the offences against him. However, Turyamusiima insisted that the Court had jurisdiction to try their client prompting the Chief Magistrate to ask him to write to the Court quoting the specific laws.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network, Grace Sonko, the mother of Sharon Nakitende, one of the suspects wants her daughter released because she was expecting when she was taken to prison. She explains that her daughter has since given birth to twins whom she can not ably take care of while in prison.
The lawyers from Wameli and Company Advocates have sued the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police, the Commandant Special Investigations Directorate-Kireka and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence upon instructions from HRNJ given to them immediately after the arrest of the said presenters.
Mabirizi told Uganda Radio Network that he has many options after this decision, including reinstating the case before LDC Court, arguing that he gathered sufficient evidence to convict Kyagulanyi.
The State Attorney Doreen Elima then presented an amended charge sheet introducing six new cases related to attempted murder and aggravated robbery at Cheap General Hardware in Nansana, increasing the number of charges against the accused from 24 to 30 charges.
The session couldn’t kick due to a power blackout. The magistrate delayed the session for more than an hour hoping that the power would return in vain prompting him to adjourn the court to January 20th, 2022.
Justice Paul Gadenya Wolimbwa dismissed the application on grounds that Nyanzi is facing a multiplicity of capital offences which attract a maximum sentence death penalty upon conviction and that if he was to give bail in such a matter, he would order for 150 million shillings, not cash.
Lumbuye, who until recently has been residing in Turkey, was reportedly arrested on August 4, 2021, and, according to the evidence submitted before the court, was deported by Turkish authorities, working closely with the government of Uganda.
Turyamusiima now states that the 74 people have been on remand for a period exceeding 120 days that is 210, equivalent to seven months which amounts to unreasonable detention.
Lawyers wanted the case to be heard during the lockdown and medical experts to examine the wounds when they are still fresh instead of delaying and they become scars.
Elubu’s order came at the time when lawyers had spent about two months under the first lockdown imposed in March 2020 and they had no capacity to travel to various places in the country since they had equally not been declared essential by the President for them to move without restrictions.
The comedians Julius Sserwanja is also known as Kidomoole, Peter Sabakaaki (Omuzinyuuzi), Mbabaali Maliseeri (Uncle Luyuguumo), and Gold Ki Matono, also known as Opeto were arrested over on March 5, 2021, in relation to a satirical skit which, according to the government was used to promote sectarianism.
Mukulu and his co-accused were formally charged with 20 charges including terrorism, murder, aggravated robbery, aiding and abetting terrorism, crimes against humanity, attempted murder and belonging to a terrorist organization.
The group is part of the 76 people who were arrested from Kamwokya and Kiyembe during a joint security operation aimed at recovering copies of the army and police uniforms from civilians. But to avoid congestion in the courts, they were split into smaller groups for their bail applications.
The Attorney General argues that there is nothing Constitutional in Tumukunde’s application that needs interpretation by the constitutional court, so the High Court can address his issues
The State quotes Tumukunde saying “If I was Rwanda I would wish to support people who want to cause change in Uganda," a statement which the Prosecution says that it was aimed at instigating the Republic of Rwanda to invade the Republic of Uganda to cause unlawful change of Government.
Tumukunde wants the Constitutional Court to interpret whether the functions of the Attorney General under the constitution can extend to representing individual officer who have been personally accused of human rights violations
The proceedings turned chaotic when Justice Ssekaana also declined to remove the attorney general from the list of the respondents which would make Akullo remain on the suit alone. The judge accused the lawyers of precipitating the drama that ensued.
A meeting on Monday that included International Crimes Division -ICD Judges, Counter Terrorism Police Officers, Prisons, Directorate of Public Prosecutions and Defense lawyers agreed that for the safety of the participants from Covid-19 and other possible security risks, the trial will be conducted inside the prisons.
