Trial of MP Ssegirinya over inciting violence once again flops 

The trial of embattled Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya who is facing charges of inciting violence has once again flopped, for the fifth time. 

On Friday, Buganda Road Magistrate’s court presided over by grade one magistrate Siena Owomugisha adjourned the case to March 24 after a member of Ssegirinya’s defense team, Medard Sseggona told the court that they could not access the file from the lawyer Godfrey Turyamusiima following the death of Anthony Wameli, the opposition party National Unity Platform (NUP) lead lawyer.

Wameli died on Wednesday at Boston Medical Center in the US where he was battling stage four cancer. Ssegirinya also known as Mr Update is being accused of having reportedly posted a statement on his Facebook page named “Ssegirinya Muhammad Fans Page” calculated to incite the public to participate in violence against a section or group of people.

The prosecution quotes Ssegirinya to have posted “I am warning those who are trying to assassinate Hon Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu that what will happen will be forty times worse than the 1994 Rwandan Genocide”.

State attorney Ivan Kyaze told the court that they were ready to proceed with the case. Owomugisha had no objection to the request to adjourn the case. She also issued a production warrant for Ssegirinya to be produced in court on March 24.

This is the fifth time that Ssegirinya’s trial is not taking place. Last year on March 22, the case failed to resume after another of Ssegirinya’s lawyer, Shamim Malende told court that she was not ready to proceed because; the opposition was in the preparations to look for a candidate to participate in a race to replace the former speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah who also died in a US hospital. 

The case was then adjourned to April 28, 2022, but on that day, the prosecutors were attending the memorial lecture of the late state attorney Joan Namazzi Kagezi. It was then adjourned to May 12, 2022, but on that day, court heard that Malende was sick and she sent some lawyers to seek adjournment.

Ssegirinya was granted bail on these charges of inciting violence.