The Court of Appeal has set May 18 to decide whether or not to grant bail to Jailed Tabliq leader Amir Ummah Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga pending hearing of his appeal.

On Wednesday, Kamoga through his lawyer Roberts Kagoro asked Justice Christopher Madrama to grant him bail on grounds that there is high likelihood of delay in disposing of his appeal, which he says has high chances of success.

Former Makindye west MP Husssein Kyanjo was among his sureties.

However, senior state attorney Lillian Omara opposed Kamoga's bail, arguing that he could skip court since he was jailed for the rest of his life having been convicted of terrorism.

Kamoga dressed in a white tunic appeared relaxed before the judge.

On August, 21, 2017, Kamoga was convicted together with his brother Sheikh Murta Mudde Bukenya, Sheikhs Siraje Kawooya and Fahad Kalungi of the charge of terrorism. They were imprisoned for life.

Their co-convicts sheikhs Yusuf Kakande and Abdu Salaam Sekayanja were each jailed for 30 years in prison. They have since all appealed against conviction and sentence.   

Will Sheikh Kamoga get bail?

He was sentenced, in August last year, to spend the rest of his life in prison. Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi found Ssheikh Yunus Kamoga, the head of the tabliq sect, guilty of terrorism.

Prosecution says he had been involved in printing fliers with the names of those targeted to be killed inscribed on them and distributed in mosques, holding meetings in their homes from where they planned the killings, sending of WhatsApp messages with pictures of graves, coffins, bullets to their rival groups.

However, Kamoga, 60 says he is of advanced age and the only bread winner of his family. He wants court to give him bail so that his appeal against his sentence could be heard while he is on bail.

He will file the appeal today at the Court of Appeal, led by Christopher Madrama.

Among the grounds, Kamoga wants the court to look into in order to grant him temporary release, are that he is the bread winner of his family, has responsibilities in the Muslim community and has substantial sureties among others.

Relatives and friends await the decision of the court today.

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