The long-awaited court ruling on the mandatory bail request for several National Unity Platform members has been delayed once again, sparking fresh anger and suspicion among opposition leaders and supporters.
The Kawempe Chief Magistrate’s Court, which was expected to deliver its decision today, announced that the ruling would instead be issued on December 22, explaining that the presiding magistrate was unavailable.
The detained NUP members have spent weeks on remand over accusations of taking part in banned military-style drills. They deny the charges, saying they were only doing simple physical exercises during a political meeting. Their lawyers insist that similar activities carried out by groups linked to the ruling NRM have never attracted criminal charges.
The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, who attended the court session, criticised the postponement, accusing authorities of applying the law unfairly. He questioned why NRM-aligned youth who have engaged in similar drills have not faced the same charges.
Ssenyonyi argued that the continuous detention of opposition supporters shows political bias rather than a genuine legal process. He warned that the delays appear to be part of a broader effort to intimidate the opposition ahead of key political activities.
Despite the growing frustration, Ssenyonyi encouraged supporters to remain hopeful, insisting that justice would eventually prevail.
As the new ruling date approaches, families, lawyers, and opposition leaders say they can only wait and trust that the court will defend the rights that the Constitution guarantees to all citizens.