Denial of bail is constitutional, according to Speaker Oulanyah.

The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, has turned down demands from the opposition to intervene in the prolonged refusal of bail to MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya of Kawempe North and Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye West.

Murder, attempted murder, and aiding and abetting terrorism are among the charges leveled against the two. On Monday, Masaka High Court Judge Lawrence Tweyanze denied them bail, claiming that their release would hamper investigations because they are now on trial.

The MPs, according to Tweyanze, are prominent personalities with the power to influence and interfere with investigations, even absconding from bail. He also claimed that their lawyers, lead by Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, had failed to prove that the MPs were sick, and that the original accusations, for which the two legislators had been given bail, were unrelated to the current case.

The recent machete killings in the Masaka sub-region are being blamed on MPs Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana. They were recently given bail by the Masaka High Court, but they were afterwards re-arrested, charged again, and imprisoned in Kigo jail.

During the plenary session on Tuesday afternoon, Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda raised a procedural concern about their two colleagues’ refusal of bail.

“When I first came here, I was given the Constitution and took an oath to defend it, but these two colleagues were denied bail because the Head of State has been threatening everyone that he wants them in prison, but they were granted bail under the Constitution because they are presumed innocent,” Ssemujju said.

Given the current situation, he sought advice from the Speaker.

Oulanyah responded by stating that he used to practice law and that he had filed for bail multiple times but had been denied each time.

The Speaker went on to say that granting and denying bail is constitutional, and that there is no need to politicize the issue or put undue pressure on other government agencies.

Another procedural concern was made by Francis Zaake, the Mityana Municipality MP, who stated that MP Ssegirinya had been released from prison this morning and transferred to Mulago hospital for treatment. He claimed that it was unfair not to give specialist therapy to legislators, despite the fact that parliament does.

Speaker Oulanyah, on the other hand, determined that procedural problems are just regarding House procedures.

“Anything outside this location that is not related to an issue that is being debated in this House cannot be a procedural matter for a House or for a Speaker’s judgment,” Oulanyah declared. “Those become administrative matters, in which case you should approach the Speaker and we may discuss it.” It can’t possibly be a procedural issue.”

With the help of MP Zaake, Oulanyah insisted that the problem is purely administrative.

Murder is a capital crime that carries a maximum penalty of death by hanging if convicted under the Penal Code Act.