KAMPALA — The International Crimes Division of the High Court has granted bail to former Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi and 16 of his co-accused, ending 169 days—more than five and a half months—on remand over terrorism charges arising from violence that followed the January 2026 general elections.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday at the High Court in Wandegeya, Justice Susan Okalanyi released Kivumbi on a cash bail of Shs10 million, while each of the 16 co-accused was granted cash bail of Shs1 million.
However, the judge declined to release six other applicants—Calvin Kayanja, Ryan Ssewanyana, Brian Muwanguzi, Ivan Akankwatsa, Yusuf Kiwanuka and Brian Owori—after finding shortcomings in their surety documentation.
They were granted leave to return to court on July 13 with one additional surety each.
Kivumbi and his co-accused have been in custody since January 22, 2026, meaning they had spent 169 days on remand by the time the High Court granted them bail on July 9.
The accused face terrorism charges over incidents allegedly committed between January 11 and 15, 2026, in Kibibi, Butambala District.
Prosecutors allege that the group attacked a polling station and Kibibi Police Station during post-election violence, resulting in the deaths of seven people. All the accused deny the charges.
In her ruling, Justice Okalanyi held that the applicants had sufficiently demonstrated that they had fixed places of residence through letters from their respective Local Council chairpersons, satisfying one of the constitutional requirements for bail.
She also dismissed the prosecution's argument that some of the proposed sureties lacked the financial capacity to stand surety because of the balances in their bank accounts, saying the contention had no basis in law.
The judge further found that the prosecution had failed to prove that the accused were likely to interfere with investigations if released, observing that courts cannot deny bail based on speculation or unsubstantiated allegations.
Justice Okalanyi reiterated that the Constitution guarantees every accused person the right to apply for bail and stressed that criminal charges alone do not amount to proof of guilt.
As part of the bail conditions, the accused were barred from travelling outside Uganda without court permission and ordered to report to court on the last Friday of every month until the case is concluded.
The ruling sparked celebrations outside the courtroom as relatives, supporters and members of the National Unity Platform (NUP) welcomed the decision.
Kivumbi was arrested on January 15, 2026, in the aftermath of election-related violence. He was formally charged with terrorism before the Butambala Magistrate's Court on January 23.
On February 10, the prosecution amended the charge sheet to include 24 additional suspects, many of whom were alleged to have served as Kivumbi's election agents.
The case was repeatedly delayed as the defence accused the prosecution of failing to disclose evidence and delaying the committal of the case to the High Court.
Proceedings also involved disputes over the ages of two accused persons and whether they should be detained in a juvenile facility.
On May 15, Butambala Chief Magistrate Deogratias Ssejjemba directed the prosecution to file committal papers without further delay. After the prosecution failed to comply, Kivumbi petitioned the High Court for bail.
In support of his application, Kivumbi presented Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya and his brother, Yasin Lutaaya, as sureties.
The criminal trial will now continue with Kivumbi and 16 of his co-accused on bail, while the remaining six applicants await a fresh hearing on their bail application after filing additional surety documents.
