KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Buganda Road Magistrates Court has remanded former presidential candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye to Luzira prison on charges of inciting violence.
Besigye together with former Rubaga South Constituency Parliamentary candidate, Samuel Lubega Mukaku, were remanded by court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Asuman Muhumuza.
The duo has been remanded up June 17th, 2022 to return for bail application.
The court heard that on June 14th, 2022 in Kikuubo, Shauriyako parish, Kampala city, Besigye and Mukaku without lawful excuse made statements indicating that it would be desirable to demonstrate, which could cause violence and damage to property.
The duo who were arraigned in court at exactly 6pm however denied the charges against them. Their lawyers led by Erias Lukwago and Samuel Muyizzi attempted to apply for bail but the magistrate declined to grant their request on the basis that it was late.
He decided to give them a quicker adjournment to Friday this week as investigations continue. The State was being represented by Ivan Kyazze.
Besigye and Mukaku were arrested on Tuesday by the Uganda Police Force where they were addressing traders about the need to protest against the skyrocketing prices of commodities in the country as Parliament convened at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds for the 2022/2023 reading of the national budget .
Since late November 2021, there has been a general increase in prices of several items including fuel prices, cooking oil and soap among others.
As result, Besigye and Mukaku were briefly detained at Kampala Central Police Station and later transferred to Nagalama police station in Mukono district on Tuesday, where they were produced in court.
It was not the first time that Besigye is being charged with inciting violence for protesting skyrocketing prices .
On May 24th 2022, he was charged over the same charges by Grade One Magistrate Siena Owomugisha who asked him to pay bail of 30 million shillings cash which was later reduced to 3 million shillings by the High Court .
Besigye was later released on Monday last week from the same prison which he has gone back to.
According to the suspects lawyer Erias Lukwago, the court shouldn’t have charged them this late and declined to grant their request for bail. Lukwago has indicated that he will petition the Judicial Service Commission over Muhumuza’s conduct which he has described as abuse of office.
Dozens of his supporters who gathered at court protested the remand of Besigye and Mukaku saying “Asuman Shame on You , Shame on You” on top of their voices.
Later five people whose identities are yet to be obtained were arrested from the court premises as they protested the decision to take Besigye and Mukaku to prison.
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