The High Court in Mbarara has rejected the bail application by the LCII chairperson of Kiziiba in Nyakyera sub-county, Ntungamo, Ben Tarimwima Kyamugara, who is facing murder charges.
According to the prosecution, Tarimwima on 8th May 2020, together with others still at large, while at Igorora Primary School allegedly killed Peter Byamugisha after finding him eating a sugar cane inside the school store.
Byamugisha was a resident of Kishojwa village Kiziiba parish Nyakyera sub-county Ruhama County in Ntungamo district.
It is alleged that Tarimwima led the mob that tied Byamugisha’s arms to the back and beat him severely on the stomach using sticks and stones to force him to confess where he had gotten the sugar cane until he died after over 5 hours.
On Thursday, Tarimwima appeared before Lady Justice Joyce Kavuma.
Tarimwima had applied for bail on grounds that he had overstayed on remand without trial since his arrest in 2020. He also argued that it is his right to apply for bail because he is innocent until the court proves him guilty.
Justice Kavuma denied Tarimwima bail on the grounds that the evidence he presented didn’t satisfy the court to accept his application for bail.
Justice Kavuma also said that she agreed with the argument from an affidavit sworn by the investigative officer Constable Charles Bwengye, who was presented by the State Attorney that the case was a high-profile case that attracted public interest.
According to Bwengye, the suspect has on several occasions used his position as LC II Chairperson to influence the progress and prosecution of the case by frustrating the arrests of the other suspects when he wasn’t committed to the High Court and was on bail.
Bwengye also indicated that during the time the suspect was on bail, he threatened eyewitnesses, their relatives, and contacts with framed-up charges of robbery and kidnapped one of the witnesses John Ndebesa.
Justice Kavuma further remanded the suspect to Mbarara Government prison until the case is fixed for hearing.
