10 KCCA Councillors further remanded
Buganda Road Court was on Wednesday morning filled to capacity as relatives and friends to 14 jailed Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Councillors came to witness a bail ruling. Relatives to the detained Councillors filled up the tiny court room to the extent that many were forced to stand while others were blocked from entering.
The Kampala Capital City Authority Councillors mainly from the opposition party National Unity Platform(NUP) were arrested on February, 03, 2022 while protesting the eviction of street vendors. They were roughed up by armed police officers while marching on the streets with placards expressing their dissatisfaction at the manner in which street vendors are being evicted off the streets and consequently charged in court and remanded to Kigo and Kitalya government prisons.
The NUP Councillors including four women and ten men appeared via zoom technology from Kigo and Kitalya government prisons respectively, looking miserable and sad. Most of the Councillors were still clad in their protest white T-Shirts with images of street vendors written on “Omutembeyi Ssimuyeekera” meaning ‘a Hawker isn’t a rebel’.
10 KCCA Councillors further remanded
Among those detained in prison include; the Speaker Zahara Luyirika, the Deputy Speaker Nasur Masaba, and councilors Faisal Kibirige, Gadhafi Nasur and Mushin Kakande. Others are Winnie Nansubuga, Faisal Ssebayiga, Mosh Ssendi Afrikan, Paul Kato, Richard Sembatya, Rose Kigozi Nalubwama, Moses Kataabu, Fausta Bitaano, and the personal assistant to the speaker Aksam Ssemakula.
The state objected to granting them bail on grounds that the letters presented from the sureties are not within their jurisdiction, the letters were from KCCA and not the Buganda Road Court. The state also argued that the Councillors would use their influence to interfere with the ongoing exercise of evicting street vendors from Kampala City Centre.
All the 14 Councillors presented thirty sureties but Court only granted a cash bail of Shs 500,000 to four female councilors and one male at Shs 2 million none cash to their sureties. These ladies include Zahara Luyirika, Winnie Nafuka, Fausta Bitalo and Kigozi Ruth. Grade One Magistrate gave them bail on grounds that they are women and need to take care of their families,including one who has a two months old baby.
The rest were remanded further until February 14, when their case comes up for mention. Their lawyers including Goffrey Turyamusiima, Erias Lukwago, Benjamin Katana, Kenneth Paul Kakande and two others insist that their case is bailable and as leaders, they cannot interfere with ongoing investigations.
Compiled by Rashidah Nakaayi
