Besigye, Mukaaku finally granted bail

Former presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Samuel Lubega Mukaaku have been granted a cash bail of Shs2.5 million each and ordered not to make any public comments about the case until its hearing is complete.

The two political activists who have been in detention since June 15 when they were arrested in downtown Kampala Friday morning appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate's Court presided over by acting High Court judge Douglas Singiza a day after Kampala High Court judge Tadeo Asiimwe rejected their bail application arguing that they had to first exhaust the administrative functions of the Magistrate’s Court.

In his ruling, Dr Singiza bonded each of their sureties Shs500 million, not cash and said their case would be fixed for day-today hearing before the trial magistrate.

The two were arrested downtown Kampala for allegedly exhorting Ugandans to rise up against government inaction to cushion vulnerable citizens against skyrocketing commodity prices. They were briefly detained at Kampala Central Police Station before they were transferred to Naggalama Police Station in Mukono District.

On June 17, they were arraigned before Buganda Road Court presided over by grade one magistrate Asuman Muhumuza who declined to release them on bail on grounds that they had become “habitual offenders”.