KILL ME, SPARE BESIGYE: The activists shortly after being released from prison.
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Buganda Road Magistrates Court has granted non-cash bail of sh500,000 each to five women activists from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Katonga faction, including Deputy Kampala Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura, who had spent about three weeks in prison on charges of common nuisance.
The other activists granted bail are Ingrid Turinawe, Faridah Nangonzi, Shadiya Namubiru, and Phionah Kabayinza. Presiding over the case, Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko ruled that the opposition members presented as sureties were substantial. The sureties were directed to execute non-cash bail forms of one million shillings, and the case was adjourned until April 23, 2025, for the hearing to commence.
The five activists were arrested on February 19, 2025, in downtown Kampala on Ben Kiwanuka Street while wearing blue and white T-shirts with the inscription “Kill me but spare Besigye.” They were protesting the continued detention of Dr. Kizza Besigye, who has been in prison since November 16, 2024, following his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, and subsequent extradition to Uganda. He, along with his co-accused Obeid Lutaale, faces charges of treason and misprision of treason.
Prosecution told the court that on February 17, 2025, the women participated in an unauthorized procession on Ben Kiwanuka Street, allegedly disrupting traffic and causing inconvenience. Initially, the women were remanded to Luzira Prison until February 25, 2025, after spending seven days in detention and a night in the Kampala Central Police Station cells. However, on that date, the Uganda Prisons Services informed the court that they could not be produced because they only had politically inscribed clothing, which violated prison regulations.
Five Women Activists who have been Granted Bail.
The court advised them to obtain alternative clothing, leading to today’s appearance, where they wore blue blouses paired with scarves in Uganda’s national colors: black, yellow, and red. Immediately after their release, the activists pulled out the same T-shirts they wore on the day of their arrest and resumed their protest, chanting “Free Besigye!” Their actions drew a crowd of supporters, friends, and relatives, briefly blocking the court’s main entrance in a mix of celebration and extended protest.
Besigye and Lutaale remain on remand until March 28, 2025, when they will return to court for an update on the progress of investigations into their alleged solicitation of financial and logistical support from meetings held in Switzerland, Kenya, Uganda, and Greece to allegedly overthrow the government of Uganda. After their release, the activists were driven by opposition Members of Parliament to the FDC Katonga faction offices, where they were officially welcomed from jail.
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