Court dismisses case against youth protestors

KAMPALA

City Hall Magistrate’s Court has dismissed a case in which nine youth had been accused of holding unlawful protests in Kampala.
The suspects had on Tuesday appeared before Grade One Magistrate, Mr Moses Nabende who dismissed the case on grounds that prosecution had failed to produce witnesses.
The youth included: Mr Ferdinand Luutu, Mr Amos Ojok, Mr Oloya Akena, Mr Ambrose Juma, Ms Nasimbwa Nalongo, Mr Augustine Ojobilo, Mr Joram Mwesigye, Mr Robert Mayanja, and Mr Norman Tumuhimbise.
“These suspects who have been on remand are entitled to a fair and speedy trial which prosecution is denying them. Therefore, this case is dismissed for want of prosecution,”Mr Nabende held.
The nine were arrested on August 4 and charged the following day. They denied the charges and court released them on a cash bail of Shs 400,000 each. However, they were later re-arrested and remanded to Luzira prison after they absconded from court.
Prosecution stated that on August 4 on Speke Road in Kampala, with intention to cause chaos, the suspects participated in an unlawful assembly by moving around the city with a coffin. Prosecution further stated that the suspects were found carrying banners with inscription “We are mourning for our country over corruption, unemployment, youth desertion. Do not lead us into temptations.”
This was the second time in less than three months that the youth were arrested and charged for protesting against what they called “rampant corruption” and increasing youth unemployment in the country.
In June, two youth Mr Robert Mayanja and Mr Norman Tumuhimbise, who are among the nine suspects, were arrested on accusations of smuggling two piglets into the national assembly building and were later charged with interrupting Parliament activities, criminal trespass and conspiracy to commit a crime.

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