After three weeks in custody, Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura and four fellow activists have been granted non-cash bail by the Buganda Chief Magistrate’s Court.The group, facing charges of public nuisance, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya, marking a significant development in their case.
The defendants, including veteran opposition figure Ingrid Turinawe, businesswoman Phionah Kabayiza, self-employed Farida Nangozi, and businesswoman Shadia Namubiru, had been remanded following their arrest during protests demanding the release of prominent opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye.
Magistrate Nankya granted the bail after determining that the defendants’ sureties were substantial. “The presumption of innocence is still paramount, and the charges against the accused persons are bailable,” she stated. “The accused persons have fixed places of abode with sureties who include relatives and friends. All the accused persons are granted a non-cash bail of Shs500,000. The sureties, having been found to be substantial, are bound by Shs1 million.” The case was adjourned to April 23.
The prosecution alleges that on February 17, the group obstructed Ben Kiwanuka Street in Kampala, creating a public nuisance and endangering traffic.
This release follows a period of heightened political tension surrounding the detention of Dr. Kizza Besigye and his aide, Hajj Obedi Lutale. They have been held at Luzira Prison since November, initially facing security-related charges that were later changed to treason, following their alleged abduction in Nairobi, Kenya.
Under public and political pressure, Dr. Besigye, Lutale, and Captain Denis Oola, attached to the Armoured Brigade, were brought before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court and formally charged with treason. The charge sheet accuses them, along with others at large, of failing to report an intended act of treason between 2023 and November 2024.
The prosecution claims these offenses occurred in various international and domestic locations, including Geneva, Athens, Nairobi, and Kampala. They allege that the defendants knew of a planned treasonous act but failed to notify the appropriate authorities or take steps to prevent it.