By Kabuye Ronald
Former Kampala Lord Mayor and People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) leader Erias Lukwago will remain on remand after the High Court declined to grant him bail, citing insufficient medical evidence to justify his release.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice David Matovu found that Lukwago had met most of the legal requirements for bail, including presenting substantial sureties and demonstrating that he was neither a flight risk nor likely to interfere with witnesses. However, the court ruled that his application fell short because it lacked certified evidence showing that his medical condition could not be adequately treated within the prison health system.
The judge dismissed the prosecution’s argument that Lukwago could interfere with witnesses, describing the claim as speculative. Justice Matovu also noted that investigations appeared to have been completed and that the prosecution had already presented its first witness in the related treason proceedings involving Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused.
Similarly, the court rejected the State’s assertion that Lukwago would abscond because of the gravity of the charge. Although prosecutors argued that the offence carries a possible life sentence, Justice Matovu held that Lukwago’s public record and character did not support the claim that he was likely to flee.
The court further found that the sureties presented by the defence were sufficient to guarantee his appearance during trial.
The decisive issue, however, was the medical ground advanced by the defence. While medical reports and specialist recommendations for treatment abroad were submitted, the judge ruled that the application lacked certification from the medical officer at Luzira Prison confirming that prison health services were incapable of managing Lukwago’s condition.
Justice Matovu said the absence of that evidence meant the court could not rely on medical grounds to justify bail.
The judge also observed that the application had originally been filed in relation to proceedings before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court, which ceased to exist after the case was committed to the High Court.
In exercising the court’s discretion, Justice Matovu ruled that Lukwago should remain on remand, allowing the High Court judge assigned to hear the main case to manage the proceedings from the outset.
Lukwago was charged on June 17 with misprision of treason over allegations that he failed to report an alleged plot to overthrow the government between 2021 and November 2024. He has since been committed to the High Court for trial, where he remains in custody.
