Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The General Court Martial in Makindye has released on bail supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party members, Eddie Mutwe and Nubian Li and 15 others.
Ali Bukeni aka Nubian Li is Robert Kaygulanyi’s singing partner, while Eddy Ssebufu aka Eddie Mutwe is the head of his personal bodyguards. They were arrested in Kalangala last year at the height of the Presidential campaigns, and face arms related charges in the military court.
They were released by the General Court Marital chaired by Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti after spending six months on remand following their arrest in December last year in Kalangala where they had accompanied the National Unity Platform (NUP) president, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, on a campaign trail.
“After listening to submissions for both counsel, for the applicant and respondent, this court has deliberated on this application and rules as follows; applicants have spent long on remand, in the result, this court finds merit in the application and hereby grants bail to the applicants on the following terms;” Lt Gen Gutti ruled.
Some of the bail terms for the Bobi supporters include; not going beyond the limits of Wakiso and Kampala districts without court’s permission, report to court twice a month after every two weeks. Each of them was bounded to Shs20m not cash while their four sureties were bonded Shs50m not cash each.
The chairman of the court also ordered the suspects to always report to his court as and when required and that breach of any of the above terms, would lead to automatic cancellation of their bail and returned to jail.
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“Nubian Li, Eddie Mutwe, Dan Magic and the rest of the team members arrested in Kalangala last year have been released on bail. While this is a sigh of relief, we still have to press on and demand for the release of all political prisoners across the country,” Nakawa West MP, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi who doubles as NUP spokesperson.
The suspects are part of the 49 Bobi Wine supporters who were arrested on December 30, 2020 in Kalangala District and arraigned before the chief magistrate in Masaka City in January 2021 where they were granted bail. However, they were re-arrested and detained at the Makindye Military Barracks for days before they were arraigned in the army court where they were charged afresh and remanded to Kitalya prison.
Their bail application has previously been blocked by the state on claims that they would incite violence.
