Kawempe North MP, Ssegirinya, Reveals Health Issues in Terrorism Trial

Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | During his pretrial for terrorism charges in the International Crimes Division of the High Court, Muhammad Ssegirinya, the Member of Parliament for Kawempe North, disclosed his health challenges. He informed Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha about his battle with skin cancer and lung infections on Monday.

Ssegirinya, who is jointly charged with Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana and four others in connection with machete killings in Masaka and Lwengo districts in 2021, expressed his gratitude for the court’s patience, as he had missed two sessions. The other suspects in the case are Jackson Kanyike, John Mugerwa, Bull Wamala, and Mike Sserwadda.

During the hearing, Ssegirinya also revealed that he suffers from hypertension, which occasionally results in a blood pressure reading as high as 200 over 140. He mentioned that doctors in the Netherlands had implanted a body monitoring device in his left arm to track his condition while he was in Uganda. He had been advised to return to the Netherlands for a review on October 10, 2023.

However, his lawyers recommended that he remain in Uganda and attend court since he had already missed two consecutive sessions.

Earlier, Justice Komuhangi had dismissed an application by Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana to halt their trial pending the determination of a constitutional petition challenging the legality of the charges against them. In February 2023, they had filed a petition with the Constitutional Court, arguing that their separate trials in different courts amounted to an abuse of the court process and political persecution.

The terrorism case is scheduled to continue on October 24, 2023. Ssegirinya’s lawyer, Counsel Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa, stated that they would follow the court’s advice and file an application for a stay of proceedings in the Constitutional Court, where their petition had already been submitted.

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