KAMPALA – UGANDA: President Museveni’s directive to ban police bonds for suspects has sparked fierce controversy, with the Kisoro DPC Ben Niwamanya Kashumbusha vowing to dance the turn over the directive.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Giving his New Year address last week, President Museveni issued a directive banning the issuing of police bonds, vowing to hold accountable to any police personnel that bonds a suspect when the case is ready for trial.
President Museveni said that he had held discussions with the Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo over the matter and that through the Chief Justice, he asked the judiciary to end giving bail to suspected criminals on trial.
“I have raised the issue of bail with Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo and I have banned the issue of police bonds. Any police personnel that gives a police bond to a village thief when the case is ready for trial will be held accountable. Firm legal handling of criminals is very useful,” President Museveni’s directive read in Parts.
Speaking to this reporter, Ben Niwamanya the Kisoro DPC, vowed to have no suspect bailed as per the directive thus urging locals to always seek guidance from LCs courts for issues that can be handled at local level.
The DPC stated that enforcing the Presidential Directive is a key to halt criminals in communities as most individuals engage in criminal acts predicting to be granted bail and bonds both at Police and in Court.
CUE IN …. DPC BEN ON THE DIRECTIVE. ENG.
A seasoned lawyer Eron Kiiza told the Media that a ban on the issuance of police bonds and a direction to the Chief Justice on how courts should exercise their discretion on bail by the President in an act of outrageous, unconstitutional and pertinently illegal.
Kiiza added that the executive powers that are embedded in the presidency, the Constitution commands a sitting president to use them according to the law and must make sure that they are applied and respected.
“The issuing of police bonds is for police officers to determine, not politicians to advise on what to do, and it is a fact-based situation. So s ban on the issuance of police bonds and a direction to the Chief Justice on how courts should exercise their discretion on bail by the President in his end-of-year address are both outrageously unconstitutional and pertinently illegal.” Said Eron Kiiza.
Critics argue that the president lacks the authority to make such a decision unilaterally, as police bond is enshrined in Ugandan law thus urging President Museveni to follow due process in a democratic nation, not issue decrees like a dictatorship.
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