Buganda Road Court sets January 25th whether to grant bail to Kakwenza

By Rachael Najjuma

21^st Jan 2022

The Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has set the 25th this month to give its ruling on whether to grant Ugandan Novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija bail or not.

Kakwenza who is facing charges of offensive communication through his lawyers led by Eron Kiiza today asked to be released on bail before Buganda road chief magistrate Douglas Singiza who adjourned the matter to the above date on grounds that the submissions of both parties were lengthy and he couldn’t look through them today.

Kiiza while submitting, asked court to release his client on a non cash bail to enable him seek treatment for the alleged torture injuries he is currently nursing contending that his client had been tortured in detention before he was remanded adding that the Uganda Prisons Services on Thursday wrote to him confirming that his client was received with wounds on his body.

Here he presented four sureties including the Secretary General for the National Unity Platform political party Davis Lewis Rubongoya.

However in response Joan Keko the state Attorney opposed the application on grounds that although there is a medical report from Prison, it doesn’t tell that the injuries sustained by Kakwenza are as a result of torture.

Kakwenza is accused of having used his twitter handle to disturb the peace of President Yoweri Museveni together with his son  Lt General Muhoozi Kainerugaba with no  purpose for legitimate communication.

NUP’s Secretary General Rubongoya has said that the government should stop torturing suspects from prison because they are still presumed innocent until proven to be guilty.