By Kabuye Ronald
High Court Judge in Kampala Michael Elubu has reduced the Shs30m bail cash term handed to former presidential candidate Dr.Kizza Besigye by Buganda Road grade one Magistrate Siena Owomugisha to three millions.
In a court ruling read by the court’s Deputy Registrar, Festo Nsenga on Monday, the learned Justice Michael Elubu described the shs30 million cash bail as being excessive and harsh.
“The learned trial magistrate exercised her discretion with material irregularity when she set the bail amount at shs30 million. This condition was manifestly harsh and excessive. It therefore occasioned miscarriage of justice,” read the ruling
The judge said bail should not be a punishment but rather meant to ensure attendance of the accused for the trial.
“The offence doesn’t attract a very severe punishment. If the court were to impose a fine as punishment and this would be two currency points for each term of punishment and since the maximum punishment is three years, the amount payable would be shs1.4million considering each currency point is shs20,000.”
The leader of the People’s Front for Transition and four time presidential candidate Dr. Besigye challenged the bail term of 30 million shillings cash that was handed to him the Buganda Road Chief magistrates court on charges of inciting violence by allegedly carrying out protests against the high commodity prices and urging the public to join him in protest of the same.
