The Kawempe Chief Magistrate’s Court has denied an application for temporary bail filed by National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter Waiswa Mufumbiro, who had sought release to attend the burial of his wife.
Mufumbiro, currently on remand, faces charges of allegedly inciting NUP youth to attack security personnel and participating in unlawful military-style drills, offences the prosecution says threaten public order and national security.
His wife, Edith Katende, passed away on Wednesday after battling breast cancer. Through his legal team, Mufumbiro had petitioned the court for a brief release to enable him to attend her burial scheduled for Saturday in Luuka District.
However, in a ruling delivered on Friday via a virtual court session, Chief Magistrate Doreen Ainembabazi dismissed the application, citing public interest concerns and the gravity of the charges against the accused, according to his lawyer Kato Tumusiime.
The court also found his sureties insufficient. These included Mufumbiro’s father, Baligeya Moses, a retired magistrate, and Nakawa East Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor-elect Ronald Balimwezo Nsubuga.
In her ruling, Ainembabazi emphasised that the offences carry a maximum sentence of up to ten years’ imprisonment upon conviction. She further expressed concern that the seriousness of the charges increased the likelihood of the accused absconding if temporarily released.
Meanwhile, tension flared shortly after the ruling when defence lawyers staged a walkout in protest. The lawyers declined to participate in subsequent proceedings before Grade One Magistrate Damalie Agumaasiimwe, who was scheduled to deliver a separate bail ruling involving 14 other NUP supporters facing similar charges.
According to Tumusiime, the protest was triggered by the authorities’ failure to produce their clients physically in court, raising concerns about the accused persons’ right to a fair hearing and adequate legal representation.
