The Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate has charged seven activists for being a nuisance.
They are Godwin Toko, George Victor Otheino, Agather Atuhaire, Mubala Akram Obed, Soita Khatondi Wepukulu, Aloikin Praise Opoloje, a 24-year-old and Norah Kobusinge.
They were arrested on Thursday as they attempted to march to the Supreme Court to protest the trial of civilians in the Court Martial. This followed the swift detention and conviction of lawyer Eron Kiiza by the Court Martial on Tuesday.
They wore black and grey T-shirts with inscriptions ‘Stop military rule’, Judiciary on Trial, Stop Abuse of Power”, among others.
Court presided over by Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi heard that along Square Road, opposite the High Court, Central Division, in Kampala District, the accused placed themselves on Square Road in such a manner as to cause danger or inconvenience to traffic.
The accused, who were represented by their lawyers led by George Musisi and Abubaker Ssekanjako, pleaded not guilty to the charges. They asked the Court to exercise its discretion and grant them bail arguing that they are innocent and had substantial sureties.
But the State Attorney Ivan Kyazze opposed the bail application arguing that 90 percent of the sureties presented LC letters of Makerere University Business School. Kyazze said the LC is confined within University premises and that none of the sureties indicated is a university student or employee of the Business School.
Kyazze also said that he doesn’t believe that one of the sureties, the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Winnie Kiiza, is a resident of MUBS.
He said that the sureties are not substantial and because of their conduct, if the accused are granted bail, they will not be traced.
In his ruling, however, Kayizzi said the bail guidelines stipulate that the accused persons are supposed to bring identification cards and introduction letters of their respective places of residence.
Kayizzi said he agreed with the prosecutors that bail applications should be supported by the said documents as directed in the Chief Justice’s Bail Guidelines. But he noted that the documents be brought at the next hearing date.
He also said that the sureties presented by the suspects were substantial. He granted the accused one million shillings non-cash bail saying that it was already late and banks closed.