MASAKA: Muhammad Ssegirinya, a detained Kawempe North Member of Parliament, has petitioned the Masaka Magistrate’s Court for control over prison authorities, whom he claims of breaching his freedom to pray.
Ssegirinya, who is being held on remand in Murchison Bay jail in Luzira, appeared before Masaka Grade One Magistrate Grace Wakholi on Tuesday to discuss the murder accusations against him. He appeared with his Makindwe West counterpart, Allan Ssewanyana, who is also charged with him.
The state accuses the pair of murdering Joseph Bwanika, a former resident of Kisekka B village in Kissekka sub-county in Lwengo district, in August of this year. When given the chance to address the court about his condition, Ssegirinya stated that he is imprisoned in solitary confinement and is not permitted to exercise his faith through prayer.
He informed the court that he is under tight confinement within the Luzira prisons, where he is under a great deal of emotional and spiritual hardship. Ssegirinya adds that, given his precarious condition, he would want to find peace in praying with his fellow inmates, but, to his chagrin, the prison officials have repeatedly refused his petitions and instead branded him a psychiatric illness without conducting any medical examination.
Ssegirinya further stated that despite court orders to the jail authorities to give him with specialist medical treatment, he is still languishing in prison cells without the required healthcare. He pleaded the magistrate to reaffirm the court’s decision by issuing the orders in writing.
But in his response, Richard Birivumbuka, the Masaka Chief Resident State Attorney refuted Ssegirinya’s complaints indicating that the MPs were allocated special rooms given their status. He also told the court that there are clear medical records indicating that both suspects have been receiving specialized medical attention whenever they need it including being attended to from outside prison facilities.
Birivumbuka told the court that the MP’s complaints were diversionary and aimed at distracting the state from its investigations. He asked the court for more two weeks to allow the state to conclude the process of gathering evidence that will lead to the suspects’ prosecution.
In her ruling, the presiding magistrate, Grace Wakooli declined to formally write to prison authorities as requested by Ssegirinya, saying that she lacks the jurisdiction to do so. She, however, verbally cautioned prisons to desist from any form of human rights abuse against inmates and accordingly ordered that the MPs be allowed to practice their faith.
Notably, the two opposition MPs were last month committed to Masaka High Court to face charges of terrorism, murder, abetting terrorism, and attempted murder, offenses they allegedly committed between July and September this year in Lwengo, Masaka, and Kyotera districts.