Scrapping bail a trap for opposition leaders, says DP

Opposition Democratic Party (DP) has said that scrapping the right to bail for presumed capital offenders is a strap for dissenting leaders.

Addressing the media at their weekly press conference Monday in Kampala, DP Deputy Legal Advisor and also MP for Mityana South Constituency, Mr Richard Lumu said that ‘‘DP being the crusaders of constitutionalism and rule of law continues to condemn the act.’’

“We are inclined to guard this right jealously. The law as is- matters of bail are sufficient and it should not be tampered with,” he said.

Mr Lumu added that MPs should know that this is a trap for them if they accept to be used to remove the right to apply for bail.

“It should be noted that the independence of the judiciary is already holed up. An attempt to reduce the power of judicial officers in determining matters of bail application will only serve to fail the judicial independence further,” he noted.

Mr Lumu added that whether the president's move succeeds or not, this debate in itself has the effect of influencing judicial officers with fiduciary relations with Mr Museveni.

“We therefore refuse out rightly- the proposals of scrapping off court bail and police bond from suspects of capital offences as this would amount to incriminating the suspects before trial in courts of law,” he said

Mr Lumu added that removing bail application on some cases is mob justice in itself. It should be condemned.

Last month President Museveni announced a proposal to deny bail to capital offenders and or expedite determination of murder cases arguing that doing so would deliver justice to victims.  

During the same briefing, DP spokesperson Opio Okoler said that while celebrating International teacher’s day on Tuesday, the government should think of protecting and reopening their only source of income.

“I believe the only gift you can give to teachers is to have their jobs protected, therefore, given that schools have been closed for a period of close to two years, some won't be able to open especially those that we're renting their premises,“ he said.

Mr Opio added that majority of schools that rented premises have had landlords terminate tenancy over failed rent payments.

“These schools have been helpful to Ugandans in various parts of the country. Money should be earmarked to get them back on the road,’’ he urged.