By Spy Uganda
The Buganda Road Court in Kampala has Monday morning finally granted 2021 presidential Aspirant Rtd.Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde bail, after accepting to cough a non-cash bail of Shs50m as security that he will appear in court as required.
Gen. Tumukunde’s bail hearing was heard by Court via video conferencing, since he could not be transported to court premises due to the Coronavirus lock down.
As sureties, court, which had earlier on ordered him to present UPDF officers at his rank or above him to stand surety for him, back tracked and revised the conditions and finally accepted his dear wife, brother and close friend Mathew Rukikaire as his sureties.
Tumukunde, a former security minister was Thursday March 12, 2020, arrested after security operatives raided his offices in Kololo, Kampala.
According to the General’s aides, a team of operatives attached to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) and Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) entered his Kololo office at 7:30pm on Thursday for a search.
Moments after the raid, Gen Tumukunde said through his social media platforms that he had been arrested.
“Comrades, I have been surrounded by army officers at my private office in Kololo. Stay United. Details to follow,” he said before adding that “I have been arrested. This will not stop our resolve” in a separate Facebook post minutes later.
His arrest came just days after Gen Tumukunde declared his intentions to run for the Presidency come 2021 and while appearing on NBS TV’s Morning Breeze programme, he allegedly said that if he was Rwanda, he would join forces with all groups that are working towards overthrowing the government in Uganda.
He was later charged with treason and illegal possession of firearms, charges he vehemently denied, although he hasn’t taken plea yet since his cases can only be heard by the High Court.
However, his efforts to get bail had been always frustrated by several unforeseen factors, chief among them being the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, which made it difficult for his sureties to appear in court.
