Two legislators allied to Uganda's pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, the main opponent to President Yoweri Museveni, were granted bail on Monday after spending 17 months in jail on murder charges the opposition says are politically motivated.
Both legislators, Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana, are members of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) led by Wine, who was the main challenger to Museveni in the last election in 2021.
"They have been granted bail, we're currently processing bail conditions for their release," Erias Lukwago, one of their lawyers told Reuters.
They were granted bail ahead of any trial on condition that they deposit their passports with the court and pay 20 million shillings ($5,470) each, he said.
The two legislators were charged with murder in September 2021 following a spate of killings in central Uganda, an opposition stronghold, that left at least 26 people dead.
Since their arrest they have repeatedly been denied bail with prosecutors blocking their request on grounds they would interfere with the investigations into the killings. No date has been set for any trial.
The NUP has said the accusations against them are bogus and that their prosecution is part of government efforts to weaken the opposition by keeping its leaders and supporters in jail. Officials have denied the prosecution is politically motivated.
Museveni, in power since 1986, is widely expected to seek re-election in the next polls in 2026 although he has not himself stated whether he would seek another term.
($1 = 3,658.0000 Ugandan shillings)
(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Alison Williams)
