KAMPALA- The remaining 9 Forum for Democratic Change Katonga Faction have been granted bail by Buganda Road magistrates Court.
The group is led by FDC, Katonga women wings leader; Ingrid Turinawe and Hon. Mugume Rolland.
They have been released by the Chief magistrate Ronald Kayizzi who ordered each to pay 1 million not cash, while their sureties were bonded 5 million not cash and ordered that they return back to Court on the 4th of September.
However, the accused are to be released after providing their original National IDs worker’s IDs, Passports and LC1 letters.
This is after their Lawyer Erias Lukwago informed court that his clients had no time to look for 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 that requires the accused to have the said documents as a condition for bail.
“It’s a travesty of their justice, these people are incarcerated, their freedoms are curtailed, they cannot in anyway talk with their LCs to issue them LC1 letters.” Lukwago noted.
Lukwago says the said guidelines defeats 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, since it is the last bail conditions.
He however said that they will comply with the said conditions, but emphasizing that such conditions should not be applicable on miner cases like in the case which is a misdemeanor in law.
“It’s a petty offence, there is no reason why these leaders should run way from the Jurisdiction of court just because they are charged with common nuisance” Lukawgo said.
He says that they guidelines the said guidelines issued by the Chief Justice in 2022, un constitutional 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.
Hon. Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, Hon.Kamara Nicholas Thadeus,MP.Kabale Municipality, and Secretary General Harold Kaija were granted bail.
Prosecution states that the accused persons and others still at large on the on the 5th day of August 2024, at Katonga Road in Kampala Central, Kampala district went against the law, being rowdy and blocking walk ways which obstructed and inconvenienced the public in the exercise of their of their common right, there by concluded to be a common nuisance.
