At exactly 9:30 am, the UPDF van carrying the boda-boda 2010’s Abdallah Kitatta pulled in at the General Court Martial in Makindye for him to hear a decision that will determine either his temporary release or him spending time detained until the final disposal of his case. Once inside the court premises, the once powerful Kitatta walked himself to the dock to a courtroom full of relatives and a panel of military officers. He was here with hopes of going on at least temporarily when the unthinkable happened.

Rather than the Chairman of the panel starting with his bail application Lt. Gen. Andrew Oguti instead called the first witness to testify against him. Private Kasaija Richard an operative with CMI informed the court that he was part of the team that arrested Kitatta and a number of his co-accused following a trail that was aimed at nabbing suspects in the murder of CASE's Accountant who was kidnapped, murdered and the body found burned in January 2018. He also identified in court two pistols and an SMG rifle and rounds of ammunition which were alleged to have been recovered at the hotel where Kitatta was arrested and from his car. After his testimony, Lt. Gen. Oguti ruled that Kitatta will not be granted bail on grounds that he had been a close associate of police commanders, he was capable of interfering with and intimidating witnesses. Court also found that his sureties were non-substantial saying they were day to day ordinary people who would not influence a person of Kitatta’s standing to return to court.

“In the result, we dismiss the application and order the prosecution to ensure expeditious trial of the accused. With so, rule, done at Makindye on the 23rd of May 2018 under.” Court also found that Kitatta had failed to prove any exceptional circumstances to guarantee his release.