By Sania Babirye
The General Court Martial at Makindye has dismissed a second bail application filed by jailed Boda-Boda 2010 patron Abdullah Kitatta.
The seven member court chaired by Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti has unanimously ruled that Kitatta being the NRM chairman of Lubaga division and a leader of Uganda Drivers and cyclists association, is an influential person in society who can interfere with lined up court witnesses.
The court has also ruled that Kitatta has led no proof to the effect that his alleged grave illness cannot be managed/ treated on remand by doctors at Makindye police Military barracks .
Kitatta was arrested on 20th/January 2018 by officials from CMI on charges of unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and Military gear.
Since then his attempts to be freed on bail have proved futile as the Army court keeps on rejecting his pleas for bail with the recent one being filed on 30th/ August /2018; 2 days after the same court had released the former IGP Gen Kale Kayihura who is said to have illegally given him(Kitatta) the guns .
In his dismissed bail applications, Kitatta says his health is in jeopardy because Doctors at Luzira prison where he was first remanded to advised him to investigate and urgently carry out special medical tests for a grave -illness, something he says he has not yet done for the last ten months.
Kitatta also listed several other grounds for bail including; bail being his constitutional right , having fixed places of abode at both Nakasajja in Mukono and Nkokonjeru in Nsangi and the fact that he is a sole bread winner of his extended family of 3 wives and 13 children which he claims is psychologically and financially constrained because of his continued incarceration.
Kitatta whose first bail application was rejected in June for fear that he would interfere with state witnesses and for presenting low ordinary surities , this time however had presented his long time friend Suleiman Walusimbi a public relations officer from State House, the Rubaga Division NRM General Secretary Muhammad Kibirige and his area LC1 chairperson Abdul Matovu.
This court has found his surities to be substantial but due to the grave nature of his offenses that attract a maximum penalty of death, he has been denied bail.
He has therefore been remanded back at Makindye Millitary police Barracks until the 13th/November for further hearing of his case.
This has angered his family and friends who had come to welcome him back from prison and vowed not to set foot at court again.