Speaker Among critic Fatuma Nansubuga Released On Bond

A 34-year old woman, Fatuma Nansubuga who was arrested for protesting against the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among has been released on bail.

Nansubuga was arrested last week after she staged a one-person protest outside Parliament Buildings in Kampala.

She said she was demonstrating against reports of corruption at Parliament.

Nansubuga later appeared before Grade One magistrate Caroline Kyoshabire at Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court.

Prosecution told the court that Nansubuga was on July 2, 2024 in Kampala, seen carrying placards calling on Speaker Among to resign.

The placards reportedly carried messages advocating for Uganda to be rid of corruption, which according to prosecution, caused inconvenience to the public.

Nansubuga was then charged with creating public nuisance.

However, she denied the charges, and her lawyer, Swaibu Kitakule, applied for temporary bail.

Magistrate Kyoshabire advised the defense to formalize the bail application, and set today, Tuesday, July 9, as the date to hear the bail application.

She was remanded to Luzira Prison until today.

Uganda Law Society offered to provide legal services to secure Nansubuga’s freedom.

Nansubuga was today, Tuesday granted a cash bail of Shs.1m and Shs. 10m non-cash bail to the sureties.

“FREE AT LAST! Earlier, our President, Bernard Oundo led the embattled Fatuma Nansubuga’s legal team and were able to secure her bail at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court,” the Uganda Law Society said

Following Nansubuga’s successful bail application, Speaker Among said peaceful protests are a constitutional right.

“I have seen reports about Ms Fatuma Nansubuga, who was allegedly arrested on my orders and subsequently imprisoned at Luzira Prison for demonstrating outside Parliament premises,” said Among.

“I am pleased to hear that she has been released on bail,” Among wrote on her X (former Twitter) account.

She added: “Peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right, and I look forward to listening to her concerns. I am a firm believer in the right of citizens to hold leaders accountable, just like Ms Nansubuga was doing. I have a duty to, in due course, engage and listen to her concerns.”

The former Rubaga Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Herbert Anderson Burora was this Tuesday denied bail by the same Court for charges of hate speech and disseminating malicious information against Among.