New Judge to handle Kanyamunyu bail hearing

Mar 25, 2017

High Court Judge Elizabeth Kibula Kabanda denied the trio bail in February

The second bail application of city businessman Mathew Kanyamunyu and his co-accused in the suspected murder of activist Kenneth Akena, has been assigned to Judge Yasin Nyanzi of the High Court in Kampala.

Kanyamunyu's lawyers Caleb Alaka and Evans Ochieng filed the bail application last month.

The first application in which Kanyamunyu, his brother Joseph Kanyamunyu and girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari were denied bail was heard by High Court Judge Elizabeth Kibula Kabanda.

Kibula denied them bail on grounds that they had not proved to court exceptional circumstances to support their request.

"The application is dismissed for failure of the accused to prove special circumstances to court in order to be released on bail" Kibula ruled.

These circumstances included being of an advanced age (above 50 years) and having illness that cannot be treated by Prison authorities. 

Kibula further noted that Joseph Kanyamunyu and Munwangari had no fixed places of residence.

Prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large on November 12, 2016 along Jinja Road opposite Malik car bond with malice aforethought caused the death of Akena, the community development officer, employed by a local non-governmental organisation.

Kanyamunyu is suspected to have shot Akena, 33, in the stomach over the denting of his car. Akena died a day later at Norvik Hospital, on Bombo Road in Kampala.

On November 22, last year, the accused were charged with the murder of Akena. According to the Penal Code Act, murder convicts face a death penalty. 

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