Court to hear application on reviewing stringent bail terms for Mumbere

The International Crimes Division has set September 12 as the day to hear the application in which Rwenzururu King (Omusinga) Charles Wesley Mumbere asked the court to lessen on the stringent bail conditions that have seen him kept at his home in Muyenga for close to two years now.

Mumbere was arrested on November 26, 2016, during an army raid on his Buhikira palace in Kasese Town and was later airlifted and detained at Nalufenya police station in Jinja district but was in January 2017  granted bail by the High Court in Jinja.

Through his lawyers of Caleb Alaka and Company Advocates, Mumbere says the bail conditions set by the High Court in Jinja have made it difficult for him to enjoy his freedom.

“The bail conditions have been turned into a house arrest by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) instead of police guarding him. He cannot be even allowed to go for medication, Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa, one of Mumbere’s lawyers told journalists.

“The process to seek permission to go for medication through CMI is long and difficult which infringes on his freedom.”

The lawyer said for close to now two years, the state has failed to produce evidence for the trail to kick-off, noting that he should be released from the house arrest he is subjected to.

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In its bail ruling, the High Court in Jinja in 2017 restricted the Omusinga to moving in only three districts of Kampala, Jinja and Wakiso but barred him from stepping foot in Kasese, Kabarole and Bundibugyo for fear of interfering with investigations into the Rwenzori region attacks.

However, according to his lawyers, there are rituals he is supposed to perform in his kingdom but has been stopped by the court order.

“He was supposed to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the death of his father Isaya Mukirane where he was supposed to perform cultural rituals but cannot do the same and its implication is psychologically torturing him,” said Alfred Makasi, the Rwenzururu Attorney.

Prime Minister

In the application, the Rwenzururu kingdom Prime Minister Johnson Thembo Kitsumbire and six other juveniles who had also been arrested together with Mumbere want court to lessen on the stringent bail conditions issued to them.

They argue the stringent bail terms are psychologically torturing them yet the trial is not kicking off.

Date set

Meanwhile, the International Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala has set September 12 to hear the consolidated applications to lessen the bail term for Mumbere, Rwenzururu Prime Minister and six other juveniles arrested during the raid on the kingdom palace in November 2016.