NUP's Habib Buwembo storms judiciary over delayed bail cash refund

Human rights activist Habib Buwembo Thursday stormed the judiciary headquarters in Kampala in a protest, accusing City Hall Grade One Magistrate's Court of refusing to refund his Sh3 million bail cash. 

Before grade one magistrate Rehma Nassozi dropped all charges against him, Buwembo had been accused of malicious publications in which he referred to Parliament Speaker Anita Among as a “Karimojong iron sheets thief.”

On Thursday, he appeared at the court wearing a vest with the words "Bail refund is my right," and confronted the court’s finance office, demanding his money.

The Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) belonging activist claims he had been following up on the refund for more than three months without success.

“I submitted my application in August after my case was dropped, and I have been waiting for a notification ever since. In October, I returned to court, only to be told they had no record of my file,” Buwembo said.

He added: “They searched for the file and asked me to return after three days. When I came back, they assured me I would receive a mobile money notification within a few days. Since October, I have been waiting, but nothing has come through.”

Court bail is used as a guarantee that a suspect in a criminal matter will return for trial. The same money is returned to that person at the end of the trial whether it ends up in an acquittal or conviction unless court orders that it is forfeited to government.

“I didn’t lend the money to court that they invested it,” he argued.

After dramatic scenes, court police confronted him and escorted him to the accounts office with two officers and a person identified as one of the finance officers of the judiciary.

“I have never seen your name in my records, but let’s go check the books, and then we’ll see how to proceed with the bail cash refund,” the court officer (name withheld) said as they accompanied him to the room.

After a brief meeting in the accounts office, Buwembo told journalists that the judiciary had agreed to refund his Shs3 million bail cash on Friday.

“Today, if I don’t receive my money by noon, I will come back and have lunch here at the court. Courts often toss people around over their own money, which they willingly deposit as bail,” he said.

In 2021, the judiciary said they were stuck with more than shs26 billion bail refund money.

Procedure for refund

•Apply in writing to the court that granted you bail.

•Include full name, address and phone contact, bank account details; the bank account accounts should be held in your names.

•Attach to the application an original bail bond form received from court, the original general receipt that was issued by court, original URA. acknowledgement receipt and wait for at least seven days to get your refund.