Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and Kampala deputy lord mayor Doreen Nyanjura have been remanded by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court on charges of common nuisance.
Ssemujju and Nyanjura, along with eight other leaders and members of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) – Katonga faction, were remanded until August 7. The group includes lawyer Wahab Musinguzi, legal assistant Eric Wasswa, businesswomen Phiona Kabayiza and Zalikah Mutesi, hawker Gilbert Nayebare, sales agent Innocent Turyahikayo, student Beston Mutambi, and former head of FDC mobilization Ingrid Kamateneti Turinawe.
Also implicated are FDC secretary General Harold Kaija, former MP Roland Mugume Kaginda, and Kabale Municipality MP Nicholas Kamara Thadeous. While Kamara was released on a Shs 1 million bail, the others were denied bail by chief magistrate Ronald Kayizzi due to insufficient sureties.
State attorney Ivan Kyazze, leading the prosecution, alleges that on August 5, 2024, at Katonga Road in Kampala, the group unlawfully acted rowdy and blocked walkways, causing public obstruction and inconvenience. Kyazze noted that inquiries are still ongoing.
The accused, represented by lawyers Samuel Wanda and Kampala lord mayor Erias Lukwago, denied the charges and sought bail, citing their roles in the FDC and the upcoming annual FDC delegates conference on August 15, 2024. However, the prosecution opposed the bail application, arguing that the applicants did not meet the guidelines, as they failed to provide original IDs, adequate sureties, and consistent LC I introduction letters.
The FDC members were arrested on Monday morning while marching to the Kenyan High Commission in Kampala to protest the arrest of 36 FDC members in Kisumu last month. The detainees, held on terrorism charges, were reportedly attending a governance training program when they were apprehended by Ugandan security operatives.
FDC chairman Ambassador Wasswa Biriggwa, in a letter to the Kenyan High Commissioner, demanded answers and condemned the abduction, highlighting the breach of trust and sovereignty. The FDC called for immediate action from the Kenyan government to address the situation and ensure the rights of the detained leaders.
