Former Security Minister and presidential aspirant Lt. Gen (RTd) Henry Tumukunde has been granted bail.
Justice Kwesiga of the High Court reviewed his earlier decision and approved Tumukunde’s wife Stellah Tumukunde, his brother in-laws Hannington Karuhanga and former minister Matthew Rukikaire as substantial sureties.
The judge however ordered Gen Tumukunde to sign a Shs50 million non-cash bail and deposit his passport in court while his sureties were each asked to execute a non-cash bond of Shs50 million.
Tumukunde’s lawyer Counsel Anthony Wameli said they are glad that the judge agreed with their opinion that tagging the lifting of the lockdown to Gen. Tumukunde’s bail was inappropriate because of the uncertainty about when the lockdown will be lifted.
Wameli also said the judge agreed that the earlier condition to have army officers standing surety for Gen. Tumukunde was also inappropriate.
During the hearing of his bail application last month, Justice Wilson Kwesiga ruled that although Gen. Tumukunde had proved that he is of advanced age(61) and indeed he had a fixed residence in Kololo which is within the court’s jurisdiction, but considering the current lockdown, he could not allow him to be released for fear of breaching the set guidelines.
The judge also challenged the substantiality of Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Salaam Musumba, Stella Tumukunde(wife) and Hannington Karuhanga( Tumukunde’s brother) who were presented as his sureties and advised him to consider more substantial sureties.
Gen. Tumukunde, a former spymaster has been on remand at Luzira prison since March 18 on charges of treason and unlawful possession of guns and ammunition.