Fatuma Nansubuga, a 34-year-old woman who was arrested for protesting against the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has been released on bail. Nansubuga was detained last week after staging a solo protest outside Parliament, denouncing corruption allegations against Among and the institution as a whole. Her actions have contributed to the social media campaign #MarchToParliament.
The widespread corruption scandals have led many Ugandans to demand Among’s resignation as Speaker. Last Thursday, Nansubuga appeared before Grade One Magistrate Caroline Kyoshabire at Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court. The prosecution stated that on July 2, 2024, Nansubuga was seen in Kampala carrying placards calling for Among’s resignation. These placards, advocating for an end to corruption in Uganda, were said to cause a public nuisance.
Nansubuga denied the charges, and her lawyer, Swaibu Kitakule, applied for bail. Magistrate Kyoshabire advised formalizing the bail application and scheduled the hearing for today, Tuesday, July 9. Nansubuga was remanded to Luzira Prison until the hearing.
The arrest and trial of Nansubuga sparked public outrage, with many taking to social media to demand her release and criticize Among’s response to dissent. The Uganda Law Society offered legal assistance to secure her freedom.
Today, Nansubuga was granted bail with a cash requirement of Shs.1 million and Shs.10 million non-cash for her sureties. The Uganda Law Society announced her release, stating, “FREE AT LAST! Earlier, our President, Bernard Oundo led the embattled Fatuma Nansubuga’s legal team and were able to secure her bail at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court.”
Nansubuga is not the first to face legal action for criticizing Speaker Among. Herbert Anderson Burora, the former Rubaga Resident City Commissioner (RCC), was denied bail today on charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information against Among.
Following Nansubuga’s release, Speaker Among acknowledged the situation on her X (formerly Twitter) account. “I have seen reports about Ms. Fatuma Nansubuga, who was allegedly arrested on my orders and subsequently imprisoned at Luzira Prison for demonstrating outside Parliament premises. I am pleased to hear that she has been released on bail,” she wrote.
Among emphasized the right to peaceful protest, stating, “Peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right, and I look forward to listening to her concerns. I am a firm believer in the right of citizens to hold leaders accountable, just like Ms. Nansubuga was doing. I have a duty to, in due course, engage and listen to her concerns.”
