Court issues criminal summons against MP Ssegirinya

Buganda Road Magistrate's court has issued criminal summons against Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya and his two sureties.

Ssegirinya popularly known as 'Mr Update' is accused of inciting violence. The charges stem from a statement that Ssegirinya posted on his Facebook page allegedly cautioning security forces against trying to assassinate the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.

According to the post, Ssegirinya cautioned that the aftermath of any such action would be 40 times worse than the 1994 Rwandan genocide in which an estimated one million people were killed in a space of 100 days.

On Friday, chief magistrate Siena Owomugisha issued the summons after Ssegirinya failed to show up for the second time. He was first summoned on February 10, 2023, but still didn't show up.

On that day, his lawyer, Medard Sseggona told the court that they could not access the file which was in the possession of another counsel, Godfrey Turyamusiima, who was not in court following the death of Anthony Wameli, the head of legal affairs for NUP.

State attorney Ivan Kyazze asked the court to issue criminal summons against Ssegirinya and his two sureties; Thomas Bagonza, the councillor of Wandegeya and Apollo Ariho, councillor of Kasangati town council. They were ordered to appear in court on April 21, 2023. Ssegirinya's lawyer, Sseggona did not turn up in court.

But Bagonza says that he was in the courtroom but the magistrate sat in the chambers. Bagonza says that Ssegirinya had asked him to inform the court to adjourn the case for two months to enable him to regain his health. Last month, Ssegirinya and Makindye West MP Allan Ssegirinya who are also battling murder and terrorism charges were released after over 16 months in prison allegedly after entering into a deal with the state.