Besigye Charged with Inciting Violence, Remanded

The Buganda Road Magistrates Court has charged Dr. Kizza Besigye with inciting violence.

Besigye was produced at Buganda Road Court by police on Wednesday amidst tight security and charged before Grade One Magistrate Siena Owomugisha.

Court heard that on May 24th, 2022 at Arua Park in Central Division in Kampala district, Besigye without lawful excuse at an assembly made statements to the members of the public indicating or implying that it would be desirable to demonstrate, an act which was reportedly calculated to lead to destruction or damage to property.

Besigye was arrested from Arua Park where he was addressing crowds and taken to the Central Police Station in Kampala. He was later transferred to Nagalama Police Station where he spent a night.

On Wednesday, Besigye denied the charges and asked to be released on bail. His lawyers Chrysostom Katumba and Erias Lukwago argued that he is still innocent until proven to be guilty and that it’s his constitutional right to apply for bail.

They also noted that Besigye has a permanent place of abode and that he is a national leader whose record is well captured in some of the records before the court. Court has also heard that Besigye has been a presidential candidate four times with a performance that is well on record and not disputed and he formerly headed Forum for Democratic Change political party.

Besigye’s sureties were Wafula Ogutu and the Deputy Secretary-General Harlod Kaija.

However, prosecution led by Joan Keko objected to bail saying that if Besigye’s records are known in court, it implies that he should desist from committing crimes that bring him to court.

She added that since he is a leader, he has the capacity to interfere with investigations. Keko asked court to put stringent terms on him.

Owomugisha granted Besigye cash bail of 30 Million Shillings saying that there was no evidence to prove that Besigye was going to interfere with the ongoing investigations. Each of the sureties was bonded at 70 million shillings, not cash. The case was adjourned to June 16.

However, Lukwago said that the bail amount is outrageous since his client has been under preventive arrest at his home for almost two weeks and he has not been working.

According to Lukwago, Besigye has instructed them to appeal against the decision and has chosen to be remanded.

Meanwhile, three people who were jointly arrested with Besigye on Tuesday have also been arraigned before Buganda Rado Court and charged separately.

The former Lubaga South parliamentary candidate Samuel Lubega Mukaku, a resident of Mengo Hill in Kampala Central Division and Yoweri Kintu, a loader at Arua Park and resident of Kanyanya Quarter zone in Kawempe Division in Kampala appeared before the Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate Asuman Muhumuza and charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of duty.

They were granted a non-cash bail of 5 million shillings and each of their sureties bonded at 7 Million shillings also not cash. These have been directed to return to court on June 27th as investigations continue.

Besigye’s driver Fred Kato was also charged with an offense related to traffic according to Lukwago and granted a cash bail of 1 million shillings before Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate Fidelis Otwao.

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