Masaka- High court Judge Lawrence Tweyanze on Monday granted bail to National Unity Platform (NUP) legislators Muhammad Ssegirinya of Kawempe North and Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye West.
The Judge however set a condition for each to pay 20 million shillings and have their passports deposited in court until the end of the trial.
Justice Tweyanze further ordered each of their five sureties to sign a non cash bond of 50 million shillings to ensure that the two accused return to court to attend trial.
The MPs’ sureties are ; Kalungu East MP Joseph Ssewungu, Masaka City Mayor Florence Namayanja , former Rubaga North MP Moses Kasibante and Makindye division Mayor Ali Mulyanyama.
The accused were also ordered to report to the Registrar of the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High court once every month and have further been warned not to interfere with sureties.
The duo who attended court via video link from Kigo prison applied for bail through their lawyers Caleb Alaka, Medard Ssegona and Elias Lukwago on grounds of ill health.
Justice Tweyanze’s decision to grant bail to the two MPs came after the Masaka Resident Chief State Attorney on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) asked to withdraw their affidavits that sought to challenge the legislator’s ealier bail applications.
Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya have spent 17 months in Kigo and Luzira prisons on charges of terrorism, murder and attempted murder stemming from a spate of “Bijambiya” murders that swept the greater Masaka Region in March 2021.
The freed MPs are charged along with six other people who have not yet applied to be released on bail. These will have to stay in prison as they continue to face trial at both the ICD and the Masaka High Court.
Now the group returns to the ICD in Kololo on the 25th February for a pre-trial session.
