The former presidential Candidates Dr Kizza Besigye and Samuel Walter Lubega Mukaku have further been remanded till July 1, 2022.
The two were arrested on Tuesday following their protests over the skyrocketing prices of commodities in the country. They were detained at Central Police Station (CPS) and later transferred to Naggalama Police Station.
“Stand out, they can’t imprison all of us and when they take up to prisons, they will release us but we can’t allow this to continue,” He said adding that, “Museveni advises us to eat cassava yet he is doing the opposite,” Besigye said before being arrested.
On Wednesday, the two were produced before Buganda road court and charged with inciting violence. Through their lawyers led by the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, the two applied for bail. Court however turned down their application on grounds that it was too late.
Appearing before Court Buganda road Grade One Magistrate Asuman Muhumuza further remanded them to Luzira prison till July 1, 2022.
The Magistrate argued that the two were last week granted bail on similar charges and there is no guarantee that they will be arrested again.
Speaking after the court session, Lukwago said that they had agreed with Magistrate Muhumuza that the two suspects have never been convicted nor served any sentence and therefore are not guilty.
“The law is clear, they are innocent until proven otherwise and the fact of the matter is clear, the two have never been convicted of any offence,” he said.
“He has not addressed himself on issues of law, he is considering political issues. He knows the foundation of our justice criminal system is that one is innocent until proven guilty,” Lukwago said adding that they are going to appeal against magstrate’s decision.
Mr. Matia Kasaija, the Minister for Finance Planning and Economic Development has since linked the skyrocketing price of commodities to high prices of fuel and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Currently, most of the prices of essential commodities in the country have doubled.
Dating from 2011, Besigye has spearheaded various protests in the country. Following his defeat in the 2011 presidential elections, he led the famous walk to walk campaign protesting the high prices of food and fuel.
At the peak of the campaign, Besigye was arrested for a fourth time on 28 April, during a “walk-to-work” protest and sprayed with pepper spray and dragged from his car by police. His arrest acted as a catalyst for additional protests leading to riots across Kampala, in which at least two people were killed and 120 people wounded, leading to some 360 arrests.
