KAMPALA, Uganda — Lawyer Eron Kiiza was released on bail Friday by the High Court’s criminal division after presenting substantial securities to ensure his return to court for an appeal that judges deemed likely to succeed.
Justice Micheal Elubu ordered Kiiza to pay 20 million shillings in cash and instructed his three securities — wife Sylvia Tumwebaze, cousin Dr. Kabumba Busingye, and friend Prima Kwagala — to execute a non-cash bond of 50 million shillings each.
Kiiza had spent over 80 days in Kitalya prison, serving a nine-month imprisonment term for contempt of the General Court Martial. His troubles began Jan. 7, 2025, when the General Court Martial found his conduct unbecoming of an advocate while representing clients facing treachery charges.
The court’s chairman, Brig. Freeman Mugabe, ordered Kiiza’s arrest and imprisonment. Kiiza appealed the sentence, and his release now offers hope to civilians facing trial before the General Court Martial, signaling that civil courts will implement the Supreme Court’s decision to bar the trial of non-soldiers in military courts.
