Jailed ex-MP Kivumbi finally granted bail
BUTAMBALA.Former Butambala MP and National Unity Platform Deputy President for Buganda region , Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has been granted bail .
Kivumbi ,55 and his 23 co-accused are facing terrorism-related charges arising from deadly post-election violence in the district.
On Thursday , Butambala Chief Magistrate Ssejemba Deogratius ordered Kivumbi to execute a cash bond of Shs10 million, surrender his passport to court immediately, refrain from leaving Uganda, and report to the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court once every month.
Court also directed Kivumbi to report to the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court every last Friday of the month.
The court further ruled that once the Director of Public Prosecutions commits the case to the High Court for trial, Kivumbi and his co-accused will no longer be required to report to the Butambala court.
Six co-accused remained in custody after the court found their sureties inadequate and deferred their bail applications
“Bail granted to Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi and most of the co-accused people. Bail application for six applicants deferred,” NUP Secretary General Lewis Lubongoya said in his post on X(formerly Twitter).
The prosecution accuses Kivumbi and the other accused of terrorism under the Anti-Terrorism Act, alleging they orchestrated attacks on Kibibi Police Station, the Butambala Electoral Commission tally centre and other targets between Jan. 11 and Jan. 17.
Prosecutors say the attacks were intended to influence the government or intimidate the public and resulted in the deaths of seven people.
Kivumbi denies the allegations. His lawyers have argued that investigators refused to record his statement after he insisted on including claims that police and military personnel killed 10 members of his campaign team during a raid on his home while vote tallying was underway.
The case has become one of the most closely watched prosecutions arising from Uganda’s January General Election after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni accused opposition supporters of attacking polling and tally centres in Butambala.
Kivumbi maintains the victims were members of his campaign team killed inside his residence during a security operation.
The case is expected to proceed to the High Court’s International Crimes Division once the prosecution completes investigations and files a committal for trial.