On Monday, February 13th, Justice Lawrence Tweyanze of the Masaka High Court granted cash bail of UGX 20 million each to NUP MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya of Kawempe North and Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye West.
This was after the Chief State Attorney, Richard Birivumbuka, told court that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had issued a certificate of no objection to the bail application and subsequently withdrawn the three affidavits filed against the bail application.
The affidavits withdrawn were sworn by Thomas Jatiko, Jennifer Amumpaire, and Detective SP Innocent Mubangizi and tendered in on January 23, 2023.
Birivumbuka told the court that the DPP had directed the prosecution team not to object to their bail application. The DPP said the prosecution should simply make their submissions on bail terms.
Information coming in indicates that longstanding undercover but strong ties by the the Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga with the ruling government are the major reason why the DPP allowed the MPS bail application to be considered.
According to a renowned journalist, Remmy Bahati, who is well placed in the ranks of the NUP, the negotiations held between LoPMpuuga, and State House were to exonerate the jailed MPs.
“Kawempe North MP Muhammad Segirinya and his Makindye West counterpart Allan Ssewanyana will soon be discharged from jail after negotiations at State House, says a source who prefers anonymity,” said Remmy Bahati on her Twitter handle.
According to sources, an agreement was reached with Mpuuga’s mediation after the MPs agreed to confess all the conspiracies in which they were involved, who their funders were, the motives, and uncover all the culprits involved, among other conditions. Furthermore, the sources revealed that the entire deal involves dropping all the charges.
The two MPs, along with five others, were accused of murder, attempted murder, and aiding and abetting terrorism stemming from the 2021 spree of killings in Masaka and Lwengo districts of the Greater Masaka region.