High Court denies bail to SSP Nixon Agasirwe in Kagezi murder case

March 19, 2026 —Kampala, Uganda- The High Court Criminal Division has denied bail to Senior Superintendent of Police Nixon Agasirwe, who is facing charges in connection with the 2015 murder of former Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Kagezi.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Isaac Muwata dismissed Agasirwe’s application for mandatory bail, in which he argued that his prolonged detention beyond 180 days without trial infringed on his constitutional right to a fair hearing.
Justice Muwata noted that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions had already fulfilled its legal obligation by filing an indictment and summary of evidence on December 16, 2025, within the constitutional timeframe.
“The purpose of the 180-day threshold is to prevent the State from holding citizens indefinitely without formalizing the charge for trial,” Muwata ruled.
“By filing the Indictment and Summary of Evidence, the State has met its obligation, and the mandatory grounds for bail have been overtaken by the committal proceedings.”
The court further expressed concern that Agasirwe, given his senior rank in the police at the time of the alleged offence, could interfere with investigations if released. The judge observed that many of the officers involved in the case were previously his juniors, raising the risk of witness interference.
Additionally, the court held that the seriousness of the charges increases the likelihood that the accused could abscond if granted bail.
Agasirwe was arrested in May 2025 following testimony by Daniel Kisekka, who implicated him as the financier of the assassination. Kisekka was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to participating in Kagezi’s killing.
Joan Kagezi was fatally shot on March 30, 2015, in Kiwatule, a suburb of Kampala.
Four other suspects—Kibuuka John, Nasur Abdullah Mugonole, John Masajjage, and Semujju Abdul Noor, also known as Minana—remain on remand as investigations and trial preparations continue.