Former Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi and 23 co-accused persons on Thursday returned to the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court for further proceedings in a terrorism-related case, despite a pending bail application before the High Court.
Kivumbi’s appearance in Butambala comes days after he filed a bail application at the International Crimes Division of the High Court on June 1, seeking temporary release as criminal proceedings continue.
The accused persons appeared before Chief Magistrate Deogratias Ssejjemba for an update on the progress of investigations and the state’s readiness to commit the case to the High Court for trial.
However, the defence raised renewed concerns over what it described as continued delays by the prosecution in completing investigations and formally committing the matter for trial.
Defense lawyer Samuel Muyizzi accused the prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Racheal Bakhole, of failing to comply with court directives requiring the State to conclude investigations and transfer the case to the High Court.
“The State is playing games. They have defied court orders. Each time they appear before court without a file or evidence to support the charges. We continue to request that the charges be dropped if they do not have sufficient evidence,” Muyizzi told court.
The defence argues that prolonged delays in concluding investigations have violated the rights of the accused and undermined the credibility of the prosecution’s case.
The prosecution is expected to present updates on the status of investigations as the court continues to monitor compliance with previous directives issued by the Chief Magistrate.
The terrorism case against Kivumbi and his co-accused has attracted significant public and political attention, with supporters insisting the accused deserve a speedy trial or release if investigations remain incomplete.
Court proceedings are expected to continue as both the bail application at the International Crimes Division and the criminal case in Butambala remain ongoing.