Museveni Insists on Denying Murder Suspects Bond, Bail

President Yoweri Museveni reiterated his commitment to work with relevant authorities to ensure that current constitutional provisions that grant bail and bond rights to murder suspects are scrapped.

The president, who was Friday addressing the nation on wide-ranging issues in a televised address, questioned the current system that terms the above provisions as rights.

''Some judicial officers and the police are doing things which have no connection with reality. Bail for criminals is a right? How about the rights of victims? People are being killed but you are defending criminals- suspects of criminal offences?'' Museveni wondered.

The president also said that he "won’t accept the issue of bond."

Section 17(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code Act and Article 23 (6) of the 1995 Uganda Constitution allow police and the judiciary to release suspects on bond and bail respectively.

However, the president has said granting bail to murder suspects is unfair to the victims, as nothing can be compared to dying.

That being said, the president said he will liaise with all stakeholders to ensure that such provisions are revised. Some critics have said the president is trying to use amend the constitution to target political rivals, considering the campaign gained gear after the arrest of opposition legislators suspected to have masterminded recent killings in Masaka.

The president assured Ugandans that "political schemes" won't deflect the process to change the constitution to punish criminals.