Three NUP MPs, six others remanded

Kampla, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Law Development Center Court on Monday evening remanded three National Unity Platform (NUP) Members of Parliament on charges arising from their alleged involvement in  unlawful assembly .

They are: Katikamu South MP Hassan Kirumira,  Bbale county MP Charles Tebandeke  and  Mityana Municipality MP  Francis Zaake who appeared on a separate charge sheet.

The MPs  together with some Kampala City Divisional Councillors were arrested earlier in the morning by police.

The others are: Shamim Nabakoza, a Cleaner from Mutungo Nakawa Division, Kasubi Parish Councillor, Ibra Ssemanda Wasswa,  Administrator Brian Mungu resident of Kansanga Zone Makindye Division, Emmanuel Mukisa a Driver resident of Western Zone Kitimbwa Zone in Kayunga District, Ben Mukasa Ntale a businessman from kiganda zone in Kawempe and James Mubiru the Lubaga North Councillor.

The group had  tried to access the heavily guarded NUP offices at Kavule Makerere in Kampala and after recording their respective statements, the group was later  driven before the Kampala LDC court late in the evening to be formally charged.

The Court has heard that Tebandeke and Kirumira together with six others  assembled in a manner with an intention of carrying out a common purpose and conducted themselves in a manner causing persons in the neighbourhood to fear and to  provoke others  that there might be a breach of peace.

On his Part, Zaake  has been separately charged and remanded to Luzira prison on  three traffic offences including inconsiderate use of a motor vehicle, driving a motor vehicle without a valid license and disobedience of lawful orders.

Prosecution alleges that on July 22nd 2024, Zaake drove Motor vehicle Registration number UBD 184C Nissan Black in Color on the road carelessly by obstructing the road without due consideration for other road users. It is further alleged that Zaake didn’t have a valid driving licence and that he refused to stop when signaled to do so by a Police officer in uniform.

All the accused persons denied the charges before Grade One Magistrate Martins Kirya who remanded them to prison until July 25th 2024 for purposes of applying for bail.

Trouble for the accused persons started after they were rounded off at the NUP offices where anti corruption protestors dumped several piglets. The protestors dumped piglets named Joel in which they stated that they were demanding the resignation of Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi for having allegedly swindled 1.7 billion shillings worth tax payers cash.

As a result, chaos ensued at the Secretariat and thus closing offices as a scene of crime and some of the alleged protestors were from the NUP offices to carry out normal businesses.

Ssenyonyi has since denied these allegations also describing them as malicious.

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URN