Ten members of the banned Activists for Change-A4C charged with the murder of Assistant Superintendent of Police John Michael Ariong have been set free. They were released this morning by Mackay Opolot, the Nakawa grade II magistrate after the Directorate of Public Prosecution dropped murder charges against them.
Michael Mukhwana, the state attorney presented a letter in court showing that the DPP had withdrawn murder charges against the suspects, but didn’t give any reason. The activists were arrested in March this year after Ariong was hit to death by a blunt object during a procession led by Erias Lukwago, the Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority.
The suspects are Dembe Catherine, Twalib Kakande, Herod Kaija, Robert Kavuma, Isma Kirya, Yoweri Kintu, Sharifa Nakitende, Muhammed Ssebugwawo, Ronald Mpindi and Abdul Kayondo. However, the DPP retained the murder charge against Wako Elson, one of the suspects. Despite being set free the activists are still faced with the charges of managing an unlawful society leading to the death of Ariong and injuring two other officers.
They were charged together FDC leader Kizza Besigye, Kampala Woman MP Nabilah Naggayi Sempala, Kawempe Mayor Mubarak Munyagwa, and Ingrid Turinawe, the FDC women’s league chairperson and Erias Lukwago, the Kampala Lord Mayor at Buganda road magistrate’s court. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 15, before Khainza Mary, the Buganda grade one magistrate.
