The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kawempe North Member of Parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya, who has been hospitalized at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi for three months, is reported to have regained consciousness.
Ssegirinya’s Personal Assistant, Alex Luwemba, who recently returned from the hospital, told Uganda Radio Network (URN) that his boss can now speak, eat, walk, and recognize visitors, a significant improvement from his condition when he was admitted on December 23rd, 2023. PA Luwemba however added that, “Ssegirinya continues to battle multiple organ complications and requires prayers for a complete recovery.”
Luwemba revealed this to URN during a court session at the International Crimes Division of the High Court, where Ssegirinya and his Makindye West counterpart, Aloysius Allan Ssewanyana, along with four others, are facing charges of terrorism.
The legislators, along with Jackson Kanyike, John Mugerwa, Bull Wamala, and Mike Sserwadda, are accused of terrorism, murder, and attempted murder in connection with machete killings in the greater Masaka District in 2021.
The court session aimed to provide an update on Ssegirinya’s health condition and determine if Lawyer Geoffrey Turyamusiima, representing one of the accused persons, Mike Serwadda, had filed an application seeking to dismiss the charges against his client on grounds of torture.
However, proceedings were postponed due to the absence of Pre-trial Judge Alice Komuhangi Khauka. Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana have two separate cases arising from the machete killings, with another murder case pending before the Masaka High Court.
In February 2023, they petitioned the Constitutional Court, alleging an abuse of court process and political persecution due to their separate trials in different courts. They seek dismissal of the charges against them, citing inconsistencies and contraventions of the Constitution by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Despite being out on bail, they maintain their innocence and express concerns about potential injustices arising from being tried on charges stemming from similar facts and transactions.
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