KAMPALA.
The former spokesperson of the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate Charles Twiine who was remanded on eight charges, including inciting a man to kill President Museveni and his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has asked the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court to release him on bail pending trial.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi on Thursday Mr Twiine and his co-accused, Mr Noah Mitala alias Nuwa Mutwe, a civilian bodyguard of the National Unity Platform (NUP) President , Mr Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine asked the court to release them because their offences are bailable.
Through their lawyers of PACE Advocates and Kasadha & Co. Advocates presented sureties to whom they asked the court to find substantial.
Among the sureties that Mr Twiine presented included veteran journalists and lecturer at Victoria University Mr Alex Atuhaire Bagyenzire, Ketty Kabagenyi, a teacher at Namagunga Girls School and James Mugisha, the Commissioner Compliance at Equal Opportunities Commission, among others.
On his part Mr Mitala presented his father, Henry Kabuye; his sister, Esther Harriet Namala and his aunt, Juliet Namusoke.
Prosecution led by Mr Richard Birivumbuka asked the court for two weeks to verify the documents that were presented in court by the accused.
However, the presiding magistrate overruled him, stating…”In the interest of justice, I will give the state five working days to verify the documents. I therefore adjourn this case to June 17 for the state to respond to the bail application. The accused persons are hereby remanded until then.”
Under count one of incitement to violence, the state claims that between January 2024 and May 2025, at various places within Kampala, through electronic social media messages, Mr Twiine, who is attached to the Parliamentary police station incited Mr Mitala to attack and cause the death of President Museveni who has been in power since 1986.
In the second charge, Mr Twiine is accused of using electronic social media messages to incite Mitala to cause the death of Mr Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who acts as the country’s military chief because of his office and political opinion.
The police officer is also accused of calling Gen Muhoozi a fat pig and crooked, which information, according to the state, is likely to cause ridicule and degrade the person of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
The state further accuses Mr Twiine of habouring hate speech after he allegedly sent an electronic social media message saying the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among is a rotten human being and the chief sponsor of the killings and violence in Bukedea District, which information according to the prosecution is likely to promote hostility against the person of the Speaker.
Prosecution further claims that the officer in the same period shared a malicious message at various places in Kampala, by use of a computer, saying the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, is a money launderer, a masquerader and a fraudster, which information is likely to cause ridicule and degrade the person of Mr Tayebwa who serves as MP for Ruhinda North Constituency in Mitooma District.
In another case, Mr Twiine is accused of sharing malicious information through a computer, saying Maj Gen James Birungi who is the commander of Mountain Infantry Division based in Fort Portal, is a crook and a killer.
In count seven of hate speech, the prosecution accuses Mr Twiine of using a computer to share a message to the effect that Bahima are killers, which information is likely to promote hostility against the said tribe.
In count eight (conspiracy to commit a felony), the state contends that Mr Twiine and Mr Mitala, at various places within Kampala, conspired to incite violence against Mr Museveni, 80, and his 51-year-old son, Gen Muhoozi.
However, both Mr Twiine and Mr Mitala denied all the charges.