National Unity Platform Spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi has warned NRM legislators not to support bail removal, saying they are not immune to arrest.
Ssenyonyi said that each of the MPs is a ‘jail’ candidate and could need bail anytime soon.
Ssenyonyi made these remarks while addressing the media at their party offices in Kamwokya, Monday.
“The NRM has got to know that Mr. Museveni has immunity, but they don’t. Any of them can get arrested. Museveni is immune, at least for now,” Ssenyonyi said.
Ssenyonyi gave an example of NUP MPs, Mohammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana who are currently seeking bail, and said any of the MPs could be in their place anytime soon.
See how Hon. Ssewanyana and Hon. Ssegirinya are being treated? That is what Mr. Museveni wants to do with the scrapping of bail,” Sseyonyi added.
The NUP mouthpiece urged all MPs, regardless of the side they’re on, to insist “that the bail removal doesn’t pass because none of us is above the law.”
Last month, Cabinet tabled a proposal to have Article 23 (b) of the Constitution amended to state that a person accused of committing an offense that is triable by both the High Court and subordinate courts, shall not be granted bail until after 180 days or trial commitment, or when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) discontinues proceedings, whichever is earlier.
The proposal followed a meeting with President Museveni, who asked Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka to guide the cabinet on how to proceed on the proposed amendments.
According to President Museveni, bail is provocative and interferes with security investigations, and that is why he wants it removed.
In his words last month, Museveni said that “I will not accept the issue of the bond by police in cases like this. I’m going to discuss with the Attorney General to see how we stop this nonsense. On the issue of bail, we are continuing to discuss this with stakeholders and nobody will stop us.”
