Some of the suspects in Buganda Road court dock
The number of youths remanded to Luzira prison over anti-corruption protests has risen to 95 after City Hall and Buganda Road Chief Magistrate's courts remanded 40 additional individuals on Wednesday.
Earlier this week on Tuesday, several youths took to the streets with placards demanding the resignation of speaker of parliament Anita Annet Among, accusing her of excessive unabated corruption. While some protested against general corruption in the country, most placards specifically targeted speaker Among.
On Tuesday evening, at least 54 individuals were charged and remanded to Luzira by various courts within the city, while a significant number remained in police custody. Yesterday Wednesday, another 15 youths were arraigned before grade one magistrate Caroline Kyoshabire, charged with common nuisance, and remanded on four separate case files.
Additionally, 25 suspected protestors appeared before Kampala Capital City Hall Court and were remanded on similar charges. Buganda Road court remanded another 15 suspects, including Jeremiah Kato, an electrician; Ashiraf Kanunu, a student at Kampala International University (KIU); David Anderson Onyango, a carpenter; Eddy Kiyaga, a driver; AbdulRahman Kabanda, an intern doctor; Shabir Abdu Majid, a timber dealer; Innocent Mutibwa, a student; Vian Muwonge, unemployed; and Abdul Bast Najib, a bakery attendant.
Other remanded individuals include Hussein Lubaga, a clearing agent; Samuel Okuja; Robert Maseruka, former guild president of Makerere University; Brian Magala, a businessman; Sadat Mugweri, a boda boda rider; Joseph Owino, a vendor; and Eric Muhwezi, a loader at Energy Center.
The state accuses the suspects of common nuisance and being idle and disorderly. The prosecution alleges that on July 23, at parliament, Kampala Central in Kampala district, the suspects obstructed the public by being rowdy and blocking public walkways.
All the accused denied the charges except one, who has been advised to change his plea in the next session if he wishes. For now, all the accused have been remanded until July 29, pending the allocation of their case files to different magistrates. By URN/The Observer
