Proceedings in the terrorism case involving Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi and 24 co-accused were temporarily halted at Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court after the presiding magistrate raised concerns about the possible minor status of two suspects.
The pause followed remarks by Chief Magistrate Deogratias Ssejjemba, who noted during the session that two of the accused persons, whose identities were withheld, could be below the age of 18.
Information presented to court also indicated that two of the suspects are reportedly still secondary school students, prompting questions about whether they could legally be treated as minors under Ugandan law.
The issue led the court to suspend the proceedings to allow clarification on the suspects’ ages.
State prosecutors told the court that no documentation was immediately available to confirm the ages of the two individuals. As a result, the prosecution left the matter for the court to determine.
Under the Children Act, courts may apply age-related protections where a suspect is believed to be a minor.
The law provides that a person who appears to be a child may be presumed to be one until proven otherwise, a provision that can influence how criminal proceedings are conducted.
Following the discussion, Magistrate Ssejjemba directed the Uganda Prisons Service to conduct an examination to determine the ages of the two suspects.
He ordered that the suspects be assessed and that prisons authorities return to court with verified findings on their ages before the case can proceed.
The case, in which Kivumbi and 24 others face terrorism-related charges, will resume after the court receives the age verification findings from the Uganda Prisons Service.
