Court rejects Mufumbiro’s bail request to bury wife

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Kawempe Chief Magistrate’s Court has rejected a bail request by jailed National Unity Platform (NUP) party deputy spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro to bury his wife, who died two days ago.

The Chief Magistrate, Doreen Ainembabazi, told a court session on Friday (April 10) that Mufumbiro is charged with a serious offence that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment upon conviction.

“Given the severity of the punishment, the court finds a high risk that the accused may not return for trial if released on bail,” she said via Zoom.

The court also rejected Mufumbiro’s father, Moses Baligeya, and outgoing Nakawa East MP Ronald Balimwezo, whom the defence had presented as sureties for him.

Ainembabazi stated that the State was ready to proceed with the case, which should be disposed of expeditiously.

Mufumbiro, who is accused of holding unlawful assembly and military drilling alongside 10 others, had requested court to grant him temporary release so he could bury his wife, Edith Katende, and stand with his children in “this difficult time”.

Prosecution alleges that he and his co-accused conducted a meeting where individuals were trained in military-style exercises without authorisation from the internal affairs minister, contrary to Section 45 of the Penal Code Act.

Mufumbiro’s father, a retired magistrate, told journalists after the session that “there is no way you can say a father is not competent to stand surety for his son”.

“If I brought up a son up to 40 years now, how can I be that I cannot compel him? And in my opinion, the father could be the best surety, but since the system is like this, we have nothing to do,” he said.

He also told journalists outside the courtroom that they were told that the prisoners could not be brought to court for security reasons.

“It is justice denied. So, we shall not waste much more time. They have denied him permission to bury his wife. Let’s go and represent him at the burial,” Samuel Muyizzi, one of the lawyers representing Mufumbiro and his co-accused, told journalists.

Mufumbiro's wife will be buried on Saturday (April 11) in Busiiro village, Luuka district.

She lost her long-running battle with breast cancer aged 41 at Platinum Specialists Hospital in Kampala, leaving Mufumbiro widowed with four young children.