Five women walked out of Buganda Road Court on Monday as free people. The judge let Deputy Mayor Doreen Nyanjura and her friends leave after they promised 500,000 shillings each if they missed court later. Their supporters also promised 1 million shillings if these women ran away. Police had grabbed these ladies from the streets on February 17 during their protest march.
Nyanjura marched with Ingrid Turinawe, Phiona Kyabayiza, Faridah Nangonzi, and Shadia Namubiru through Kampala streets. They demanded Dr. Kizza Besigye's freedom from prison. Police claimed these women blocked roads and caused problems. They felt angry because officials kept Besigye and his friend Hajj Obeid Lutale locked up even after the highest court ruled against trying regular people in military courts.
Military judges had sent Besigye and Lutale to Luzira Prison on charges of guns and betraying Uganda. Right before these women marched at Arua Park, medical staff rushed Besigye to a hospital. He had stopped eating food completely as a protest against staying behind bars despite what the Supreme Court decided.
Officials eventually brought Besigye and Lutale to a regular court in Nakawa. A civilian judge then charged them with trying to overthrow the government. After seeing himself in a proper courtroom instead of a military one, Besigye started eating again. He ended his hunger strike when authorities finally moved his case from military hands to the civilian justice system.
Nyanjura marched with Ingrid Turinawe, Phiona Kyabayiza, Faridah Nangonzi, and Shadia Namubiru through Kampala streets. They demanded Dr. Kizza Besigye's freedom from prison. Police claimed these women blocked roads and caused problems. They felt angry because officials kept Besigye and his friend Hajj Obeid Lutale locked up even after the highest court ruled against trying regular people in military courts.
Military judges had sent Besigye and Lutale to Luzira Prison on charges of guns and betraying Uganda. Right before these women marched at Arua Park, medical staff rushed Besigye to a hospital. He had stopped eating food completely as a protest against staying behind bars despite what the Supreme Court decided.
Officials eventually brought Besigye and Lutale to a regular court in Nakawa. A civilian judge then charged them with trying to overthrow the government. After seeing himself in a proper courtroom instead of a military one, Besigye started eating again. He ended his hunger strike when authorities finally moved his case from military hands to the civilian justice system.
