COURT | SSEGIRINYA | SSEWANYANA

KAMPALA - Justice Alice Komuhangi has rejected a request by embattled MPs: Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana accused of murder, to order a judge sitting at Masaka High Court to fix a date for the hearing of their bail application.

Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Ssewanyana (Makindye West) had complained that ever since Komuhangi instructed Masaka High Court to handle their bail application, it has never been fixed for hearing.

“We pray you direct the judge to fix the bail application for hearing,” Ssegirinya requested a fully packed court today, November 7, 2022.

However, Komuhangi said the reason she directed the file to be handled by Masaka High Court is because she did not have the file.

“I cannot order a judge in Masaka on what to do. Your lawyers know what to do better,” the International Crimes Division of the High Court judge, said.

The legislators are represented by lawyers Caleb Alaka, Erias Lukwago and Shamim Malende.

The two MPs face several counts of murder, terrorism and attempted murder, jointly with five others, emanating from last year’s spate of killings in Masaka.

The others are Bulo Wamala, John Mugerwa, Jackson Kanyike, Mike Sserwadda and Jude Muwonge.

Background

“Between January and August last year, the accused and others still at large, with intent to intimidate the public for political, religious, or economic purposes, indiscriminately directly involved themselves in the murders and attempted murder of people in Masaka region,” the charge sheet reads.

In November last year, the MPs, together with the five others, were committed for trial over the murder of Mugerwa Kizza, Sulaiman Kakooza and attempted murder of Ronald Sebyoto.

According to the indictment seen by New Vision, one of the accused (Sserwadda) allegedly confessed to having participated in the murders and revealed that he was working with Wamala, Kanyike, Mugerwa and the two MPs to reclaim their presidential ‘victory’.

The meetings, which are said to have been graced by Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana, were allegedly coordinated by Wamala and Diego Bukenya, who is still at large. 

The indictment stated that the accused targeted the Masaka region because it attracts a lot of media attention.

The two MPs allegedly gave their co-accused cash ranging from sh50,000 to sh100,000 to execute the ‘mission’.