The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Soroti District Woman Member of Parliament Adeke Anna and Kampala Capital City Deputy Lord Mayor Nyanjura Doreen, are among the six people that have been remanded to Luzira prison for staging an unlawful assembly and inciting violence.
The others remanded include former Mbale District Woman MP aspirant Margaret Wokuri Madanda, Susan Nanyonjo, Mariam Kizito and Alice Among .
The group on Monday evening appeared before the Law Development Centre Court Acting Chief Magistrate Augustine Alule who charged them with inciting violence and unlawfully assembly.
The court heard that earlier in the morning while at Mulago roundabout, the accused persons printed posters and made statements without lawful excuse at an assembly to members of the public indicating or implying that it would be desirable to demonstrate, an act which was reportedly calculated to lead to destruction or damage of property.
But the accused persons denied the charges and through their lawyers led by Erias Lukwago, Ivan Bwowe and Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa, asked to be released on bail.
The lawyers argued that the accused persons hold positions of responsibility in different capacities in this country and that they have never been convicted or given bail and they skip it.
The lawyers asked court to release them on non cash bail arguing that it was late since the banks had already closed by the time they were arraigned in court.
In response, the magistrate informed them that the accused persons had each brought two sureties whom he needed to first look through their documents and besides this, there were other suspects he had to attend to.
As such, Alule remanded them to up to Tuesday for further hearing of their bail application.
Trouble for the accused persons started when they went to Mulago roundabout with posters and placards protesting the continued increase in prices of commodities in the country. The group was also protesting against what they termed as several injustices brought by the government especially when the economy is not doing well such as allocation of 1.8 billion shillings to use on a daily basis to the State House when the country doesn’t have money among others.
They were later arrested by police and detained briefly at Wandegeya police station in Kampala before producing them in court for plea taking.
The remand of the six suspects comes a few days after the former Forum for Democratic Change Party President Dr. Kizza Besigye with whom they subscribe to the same party, was also charged of similar charges and remanded to Luzira prison.
Dr. Besigye has since opted to stay on remand after refusing to pay 30 million shillings saying it was exorbitant and he opted to challenge it in the High Court.
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