The Kajjansi Magistrates Court has sentenced the 20 National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters, who were recently arrested by security agencies following the burial of former Busiro South MP Hon. Matovu Charles in Kungu Lutale, to 72 hours community service over being a common nuisance.
According to the head of the NUP legal department Counsel Elotu Jonathan, the group was sentenced on Friday after they entered a guilty plea to the charges.
He however noted that the group was forced to plead guilty to the charges since the chief magistrate, and state attorneys were always absent from their hearings.
“The 20 supporters who were picked up from boda-Bodas and taxis after the burial of Hon. Charles Matovu have been condemned to community service for 72 hours after entering a plea of guilty” he said.
He added, “This was the only option available, State or the Magistrate were always absent from court”.
The group was arrested on Sunday October 25th, after security personnel blocked the road at Katalemwa, near Nakawuka centre and arrested anybody donning in a red colour coming from the direction of the burial, in Kungu Lutale Kajjansi Town Council, Wakiso district.
On Monday, this week, the family of the late Matovu, while addressing journalists condemned the arrest of the supporters and called for their release.
The Gomba East County Member of Parliament on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, Godfrey Saazi, who is also a brother in law to the deceased, expressed dismay at the NRM legislator for Kibuku County MP Hon. Kinobere Hebert, who turned up in National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), paraphernalia and attempted to force his way into the burial grounds, leading to a disruption of the requiem prayers.
“There are colleagues who felt happy when we had lost Matovu and they came to incite us, you very well know we subscribe to opposition’s NUP and you come dressed in NRM and NUP attires, what would you expect from people in mourning” he said.
He added, “Why would you incite mourners, want people to show their anger, it’s the same as showing up in our red attires to attend an NRM’s members burial just to provoke them, as leaders, let’s reassess ourselves”.
The deceased’s elder brother Mr John Baptist Nsamba, called for the release of 20 NUP members who were arrested, while Mr Francis Jjemba, who was representing the jailed NUP members, called for the release of an underage senior two student of Kasanje Royal School.
“One in particular is George William Gyagenda, who was randomly picked up by security personnel. These people don’t have a crime, their only crime is they suspect they are NUP members, who had gone to bury their beloved MP, who always stood with them” he said.
He added, “The Kibuku County MP Kinobere even had a gun on top of the paraphernalia and fired two shots after inciting people in mass, but nothing has ever been been done about it, rather it’s him, who arrested those he incited”.
