Masaka magistrate court has committed legislators Allan Ssewanyana and Muhamad Ssegirinya to the high court for the trial of several charges of murder, terrorism, and abetting terrorism.
 
 
Masaka magistrate court presided over by Masaka grade one magistrate Christine Nantegge, committed the duo, together with their four other co-accused persons to the high court for trial. The accused are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and terrorism among others after the state concluded investigations in the matter.
 
The Masaka Resident State Prosecutor Richard Birivumbuka told the court that investigations into the case are complete asking the court to proceed and commit the accused persons to the high court for trial.
 
The defence lawyer Shamim Malende asked that the defence be furnished with the committal papers of the accused legislators before the court could proceed with the comital of the duo. The prosecution told her that she was to get the copies of the committal shortly after the proceedings.
 
Magistrate Nantegge read to the accused persons the summary of the cases where she also told the court that the state was going to present CCTV footage from the two places to support their claims. One of the places is in Ndeeba near Kabaka’s lake, and another is at Happy boys’ restaurant where the group sat to plan the indiscriminate killings that rocked the Masaka region between January and August.
 
Court also heard that the State is going to use call log records and statements of the accused person including that of the prime suspect Micheal Sserwadda that confessed to having taken part in the killings. Sserwadda is said to have revealed his accomplices and their intentions of the indiscriminate killings, and why they targeted Masaka.
 
“We were meeting at happy boys where the legislators could give us money for facilitation. Facilitation ranged between 50,000-100,000. We targeted Masaka because it attracts media attention. This was aimed at instilling fear among communities and discrediting the government” part of the statement made from the suspects reads.
 
Ssegirinya told the court that he never received treatment from Mulago and Murchison Bay prison health facilities. He has asked the court to order the prison facilities to take him to private health facilities such as Nsambya, Mengo or Lubaga, where he can access specialized treatment.
 
“ I never received treatment, but my health is deteriorating day by day and my ears are now oozing out pass, I am afraid that if I don’t get immediate medical treatment from my medical doctors in Nairobi or from private health facilities in Kampala that can work on my condition I will die in prison and the country will miss out to hear my side of the story I pray that I can be helped and get treatment” he added.
 
Nantegge committed the group to a high court for trial. She ordered the state and prisons' authorities to ensure that the legislators can access medical attention from specialized health workers.
 
Malende told reporters that they are waiting to receive comital papers for the accused persons so that they proceed with the case when the trial kicks off in the high court.
 
“This is what we have been praying for all long let the trial of the accused persons begin so that the locals can know who was behind these killings we are happy that they have been committed but we need them also to access medical treatment as court-ordered” she added.
 
The court adjourned the matter to 7th December to handle another case file where the state told the court that investigations into this file were still incomplete.