Masaka High Court has finally granted bail to MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) after nearly one and half years in jail with several failed attempts to secure freedom.
The two legislators have been in jail since September 2021 following accusations of being behind the killings in the Greater Masaka area.
Masaka High court Judge Lawrence Tweyanze ordered each MP to execute a bond of Uganda shillings 20m cash and their sureties are bonded to 50million each non cash in court ruling made on Monday afternoon.
The two will further deposit their passports with court and report monthly to the international Crimes Division of high court
The sureties include; Mr. Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga (Kalungu West MP) and Mr. Moses Kasibante (former Rubaga North MP) who stood for Mr. Ssewanyana while Masaka Mayor Ms. Florence Namayanja (Masaka City Mayor) and Mr Bagonza Thomas (Kawempe Division Councilor) stood for Mr. Ssegirinya.
Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana have been on remand at Kitalya government prison on charges of murder, terrorism, and attempted murder relating to the wave of Machete murders that hit the Greater Masaka region last year.
The MPs who are charged alongside the other 5 people have since maintained their innocence.
Trouble for the MPs started on September 3, 2021 when the Commissioner of Police, Paul Kato Tumuhimbise on behalf of the then Criminal Investigations Director, Grace Akullo wrote to the Speaker of Parliament summoning them to appear before detective Moses Taremwa at Masaka Police Station on September 6 and record statements in connection with the July and August 2021 Greater Masaka spate of machete killings.
At least 26 people were killed and several others injured by the assailants in Lwengo and Masaka districts. The majority of the victims were elderly people living alone in their homes.
see photos of what transpired at Masaka high court.
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