Prime
Ten high profile cases stalled by corona crisis
Matthew Kanyamunyu (R) and his co-accused.
As Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause disruptions in everyday life, the courts haven’t been spared too.
Chief Justice Bart Katureebe in late March, suspended court hearings except for urgent applications and bail hearings in a bid to minimise the spread of the global pandemic.
Kanyamunyu murder trial
Justice Stephen Mubiru of the Gulu High Court was scheduled to conclude the murder trial of businessman Matthew Kanyamunyu and his girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari in April .
However, by press time, it was still unknown when the same much awaited murder trial would resume.
The Kanyamunyus are accused of shooting dead child rights activist Kenneth Akena in Kampala, in 2016.
Lt Gen Tumukunde treason case
In April, Justice Wilson Kwesiga, the head of the Criminal Division of the High Court, rejected the application to release presidential hopeful Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde on bail, citing among other reasons, disabling circumstances created by then ongoing lockdown due to Covid-19.
The former security minister had to wait for one more month before he was released on bail on a second attempt. He is facing treason charges and being in unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Age limit case
The age limit case that seeks to annul the constitutional amendments that scrapped the presidential age limit clauses in the Constitution, was another high profile case that was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially, the East African Court of Justice had set March 18 and March 30 to hear the case lodged by city lawyer Male Mabirizi by way of physical appearance. But due to the pandemic, the same hearing was suspended until July 13.
Parliament attackers
The two men who jumped from Parliament’s public gallery into the chamber, thereby causing a stampede earlier this year, still languish in prison mainly due to Covid-19 challenges.
The duo, Mr Charles Mutaasa Kafeero and Mr Datala Senjako, believed to be from Red Top Brigade, a pressure group that is opposed to President Museveni’s rule, were charged with criminal tresspass and malicious damage to property before City Hall court in February and remanded to Luzira prison.
Other cases
The Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Bart Katureebe, in March, also suspended the hearing of seven constitutional appeals/ applications that had been scheduled to be heard between March 31 and April 2.
According to the cause-list released then by the court, the seven appeals/ applications had been scheduled to be heard between March 31 and April 2.
Some of these appeals include; Jude Mbabali Vs Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssenkandi, MP Asuman Basalirwa and five others Vs Eddie Kwizera, City businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba and another Vs Attorney General, and Attorney General Vs MP Gerald Karuhanga.
The application by MP Basalirwa alongside five of his MP colleagues, whom the Constitutional Court threw out for being elected in none- existent constituencies, has since been decided with the Supreme Court halting their expulsion from Parliament until their main appeal is heard and determined.
Kazinda
Likewise, the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, last released its cause-list for hearing of corruption-related cases for the week of March 23-27.
The same list had two different corruption cases against former principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Geofrey Kazinda, which has since been halted.
