The High Court in Masaka has remanded Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana and his Kawempe North counterpart, Muhammad Ssegirinya back to Kigo government prison on fresh charges.
The two National Unity Platform (NUP) Legislators appeared before the Masaka Chief Magistrate, Charles Yeteise on Wednesday afternoon where they were charged with the murder of one Joseph Bwanika.
The NUP MPs appeared composed but thinner and exhausted. The MPs arrived in the company of prison wardens leaping while both holding the lower abdomen with the expression of pain.
The duo was however denied the chance to plead to the charge on grounds that their case is capital in nature and can only be tried by the High Court.
The prosecution states that Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana caused the death of Bwanika, a resident of Kisekka B village, Kankamba parish in Lwengo District on August 2, 2021.
The prosecution( state )also amended the old charge sheet to include one more suspect one Jackson Kanyike who was being financed to commit acts of terrorism by murdering locals in the greater Masaka area.
This brings to seven, the total number of charges against the MPs and their co-accused.
Lawyers to the duo including Erias Lukwago and Shamim Malende say they intend to start afresh bail applications for the embattled legislators on grounds that their health is deplorable and they seem to show signs of torture.
Malende said outside Court: “They are in a very bad health state. They were tortured and as you may have witnessed they came [to court] limping yet they have health complications which was our major reason as to why we asked for bail which the court had granted to them before they were re-arrested. We want court to prevail over security operatives who make court orders nugatory,”
The MPs will appear again in court on October 13, 2021, for mention of the cases.
The duo was recently rudimentary re-arrested on separate days outside Kigo prison, shortly after the High court granted each one a cash bail of 20million shillings.
They have been in custody at the Special Investigations Unit in Kireka where they recently recorded their statements on charges of treason and inciting violence.
Earlier this week, the Police Mouthpiece Fred Enanga confirmed custody of the MPs saying they faced new charges after their re arrest by a team of Joint security operatives .
