Ssekikubo vows to continue defying what he described as an unjustifiable quarantine, indicating that he will lead farmers to take their livestock to the market on Friday.
Masaka Chief Magistrate Deogratius Ssejjemba released Ssekikubo on a noncash bail of 10 million Shillings. His five sureties were also executed on a non-cash bond of 25 million each Shillings. The sureties included MPs Barnabas Tinkansimire, Anifa Kawooya, Mary Kabanda, Florence Namayanja and Lwemiyaga sub-county councillor Johnstone Kamugisha.
Ssekikubo was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and inciting violence; cases which stem from spates of violence witnessed during the National Resistance Movement, NRM party primaries in Sembabule District, in August 2010.
Ssekikubo was arrested on Friday morning from the Lwemiyaga sub-county cattle market in Sembabule district, as the police foiled a protest by herdsmen who were forcefully taking their livestock the cattle market, despite government quarantine on livestock movement.
Ssekikuubo’s arrest follows a bitter standoff between him and Sembabule district security authorities, whom he accuses of enforcing an unjustifiable quarantine on the sub-counties of Lwemiyaga and Ntuusi despite them being free from Foot and Mouth Disease-FMD.
Accompanied by their area MP Theodore Ssekikubo, the cattle keepers and traders reported the arbitrary and unlawful blocking of their cattle market by the police even in the absence of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in their area.
Ssekikubos political rival Patrick Nkalubo had filed an application, seeking permission to file an election petition challenging the outcome of the February 2016 parliamentary polls in which Sekikubo won another term of office.
Hearing of this application came up in Masaka high Court but High Court Deputy Registrar Baker Rwatooro told the two parties to wait until June 7 when the high court will be dealing with another application challenging the powers of Masaka Chief Magistrate over the same.
Nkalubo has now turned his rage to Parliament challenging it to stay Ssekikubos swearing until the matter before court is resolved. The administration of oaths for members of tenth parliament begins on Tuesday May 17. The program shows that Ssekikubo will be sworn-in on Wednesday May 18.
The action contained in a brief statement issued by EC chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu today, comes hours after Masaka Chief Magistrate; Samuel Munobe ordered for the degazettement of Sekikubo, on the basis of an application filed by his main challenger in the race Patrick Nkalubo.
The NRM Electoral Commission, which started receiving forms from April 26, has received forms from incumbent Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga and Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, for the position of Speaker.
The motion tabled by Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Sekikubo challenged the clause saying that it infringes on the right of the legislators to associate.
Parliament has protested the awarding of 12.9 billion shillings by the Constitutional Court to Severino Twinobusingye, a lawyer who sued government seeking to block investigations into oil bribery allegations.
