International Crimes Division of the High Court Judge Susan Okalany has ordered sureties for the remaining 14 bail applicants in the terrorism case involving former Butambala County Member of Parliament Muwanga Kivumbi and 22 others to file their personal details and particulars in court before June 8, 2026.
The directive is intended to help the court expedite the hearing and conclusion of the bail application process.
The bail hearing has been adjourned to June 8, 2026, after sureties for only nine of the 23 applicants were cleared, including those for the former legislator and four secondary school students.
Justice Okalany also ordered that lawyers submit credentials of sureties for the remaining 14 applicants before the next hearing date, saying the process should be properly managed to avoid unnecessary delays in court proceedings.
She noted that it was inefficient for witnesses and accused persons to spend long hours in court without progress, describing the situation as unacceptable.
The judge further directed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to assign additional prosecutors to the case, citing workload pressures on the current team, which is also handling the ongoing treason case involving opposition politician Kizza Besigye.
Kivumbi and 24 others were charged with terrorism on January 23, 2026, before the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court in connection with alleged election-related violence during the January 15, 2026 general elections.
The accused persons are currently applying for bail on grounds that they have not yet been committed to the High Court for trial and are entitled to seek release under constitutional provisions.
Two juvenile suspects were granted bail by the Chief Magistrate’s Court, while 23 adult suspects remain in custody at Kitalya Government Prison.
The bail application was filed on May 13, 2026, through Lukwago and Company Advocates before the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kampala.
The matter is expected to return to court on June 8, 2026, when the filing of sureties’ details is expected to be completed before further consideration of the bail application.
