By Peter Bwengye and Tracy Oiko Acen,
NATIONAL
The High Court criminal division sitting in Kampala has on Monday reduced the Sh30 million cash bail that was previously granted to Dr Kizza Besigye by Buganda Road court to Sh3 millions.
The sitting that commenced at 0900am was presided over by High Court Judge, Justice Micheal Elubu who in his ruling punched holes in the orders issued by magistrate Siena Owomugisha of Buganda Road Court to grant Dr Besigye Sh30m cash bail on charges of inciting violence.
He said the earlier cash bail granted Besigye is harsh and excessive in nature given the circumstances of the case at hand.
“Taking all circumstances of the case into consideration, it is my considered opinion that the learned trial magistrate exercised her discretion with a material irregularity when she set the bail condition at Shs30 million,” the judge said.
Besigye was arrested in May in down town Kampala as he protested against skyrocketing commodity prices and alleged unlawful transition of power by President Museveni to his son Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
He was arraigned to court and charged with inciting of violence. The Buganda Road Court magistrate Siena Owomugisha granted him Sh30m cash bail which he opposed and opted to go to Luzira until today when High Court reduced the bail to Sh3 million.
