Due to local and international pressure, the government in Kampala has allocated Buganda riot suspects a judge to hear their case. The suspects were arrested in September 2009 and since that time they have not been tried.

The development has come at a time when opposition parties mainly FDC and DP, Buganda kingdom and human rights organisations petitioned UN human rights department to intervene into the issue. Bukenya Church Ambrose, told Walakira Nyanzi, a journalist based in Kampala that he has been receiving calls from the Kampala government persuading him not to involve UN in the issue of the Buganda riots suspects. Bukenya is the coordinator of Gwanga Mujje, a group of human rights activists in Kampala with branches in UK and US.

We have learnt that on Tuesday judiciary working on a directive from statehouse assigned the Masindi High Court judge Ralph Ochan to hear the case of the 23 suspects facing treason charges and where applicable give them bail.

Due to the pressure, a source in the High Court told one of our reporters that the government has requested the judiciary to hear the case of the suspects so soon before the UN diplomats visit them in Luzira prison. There is a rumour going in Kampala government that some UN officials want to storm Luzira prison without notice and meet the Buganda riot suspects. The fear is that the UN diplomat could discover that many people have been locked up in Luzira for more than five years without trial due to political influence.

Recently the relatives of the suspects broke down into tears after Prison authorities failed to produce the suspects to court as it was earlier communicated. Many people were heard cursing president Museveni’s government, his NRM party and wished US president Barrack Obama comes for their rescue. Another source at the Kampala High Court told our underground informers that the Buganda Riots suspects have stayed for all long without trial because the head of state, who is the appointing authority of the judiciary reportedly had an interest. The suspects were arrested after the UPDF soldiers and some few Police officers stopped the Buganda Katikkiro, J.B. Walusimbi, from visiting Kayunga district in preparation for Kabaka Ronald Mutebi’s visit to mark the annual youth day.