President Museveni summons NRM Caucus to discuss the bail issue for murderers

The ruling National Resistance Movement parliamentary caucus is underway at Kololo Independence Grounds following the summon from the party leader Gen Museveni . The meeting comes at a time when Museveni is speaking of a referendum regarding giving bail to murder suspects.

Museveni while at the swearing-in ceremony for new judges at State House Entebbe last week said he would summon the caucus over a referendum regarding giving bail to murder suspects something that has happened today.

“For somebody to kill a person and you give them bail is a provocation. It is abominable. I would like us to cure this ideological disagreement. This bail, what is the hurry? Who are you trying to please?” he posed.

“We are going to work on this. I am going to summon the NRM caucus and if necessary, we put it to a referendum. With this provocation, people will take the law into their hands,” he added.

In recent days, the president has reiterated his intention to guide the country to a referendum on the same.

While officiating at the Benedicto Kiwanuka Memorial Lecture yesterday, Museveni insisted that those accused of murder should not be granted bail.

“In no time we are now being told that bail is a right. Really! Somebody has killed a person and you see him walking here! This is a provocation I can tell you. Judges must be very careful because they are playing in a very dangerous area which we can’t accept,” Museveni said.

According to Museveni, the issue of granting bail to ‘murderers’ will cause the public to lose trust in government and courts of law and they will resort to mob justice.

The president cited a series of examples where people have mobbed different suspects and said bail, therefore “will cause problems”.