Court has declined to stop the trial of embattled MPs, Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana charged in connection to 2021 Greater Masaka murders.

Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Ssewanyana (Makindye West) face several counts of murder, terrorism and attempted murder, jointly with five others, emanating from the spate of killings in Masaka region.

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

On Monday, the International Crimes Division of the High Court presided over by Justice Alice Komuhangi dismissed the two MPs' application, saying it lacks merit.

“I find that having disallowed the applicants’ application for Constitutional Reference of the same questions which are currently before the Constitutional Court because the application lacked merit, this Court cannot again stay its own proceedings pending the same. The application for stay of criminal session case No.0004 of 2022 is hereby disallowed and accordingly dismissed,” she ruled.

Allan Ssewanyana (left) chatting with Muhammad Ssegirinya and Sam Muyizi their lawyer after appearing in the court at the International Crimes Division of the High Court. (Photo by Nicholas Oneal)

The judge stated that staying the proceedings in the matter would cause immense inconvenience to the other accused persons.

Komuhangi, therefore, advised the legislators to seek an order for staying the proceedings from the Constitutional Court if they so wish.

The judge, therefore, directed that the pretrial of the accused persons shall proceed on October 24, 2024.

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

The judge delivered the ruling in the presence of lawyers representing the accused – Samuel Muyizzi, Geoffrey Turymusiima and Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Background

“Between January and August last year [2021], 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 the attempted murder of Ronald Sebyoto.

According to the indictment seen by the New Vision Online, 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 co-ordinated 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’.