KAMAPALA | COURT | SSEGIRINYA | SSEWANYANA

The pre-trial hearing of the case in which embattled Members of Parliament, Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana, are accused of murder, resumes today at the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court. 

Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Ssewanyana (Makindye West) are accused together with five others of murdering several people using machetes in the Masaka region last year. 

The two MPs face several counts of murder, terrorism, and attempted murder, together 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. 

The trial is being presided over by Justice Alice Komuhangi. State Attorneys Richard Birivumbuka and Joseph Kyomuhendo are prosecuting the case, while lawyers Caleb Alaka, Erias Lukwago, and Shamim Malende, are defending the suspects. 

A pre-trial hearing involves a prosecutor presenting sufficient evidence to establish probable cause that the alleged crimes were committed. 

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 murders of people in the Masaka region,” the charge sheet reads. 

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