Lawyer Eron Kiiza Granted UGX 20M Cash Bail

The High Court in Kampala has granted bail of 20 million shillings to lawyer Eron Kiiza.

Kiiza was on Friday granted bail by the Criminal Division Judge Michael Elubu, who ordered him to pay 20 million shillings cash and his three sureties, who include his wife Sylvia Tumwebaze, his cousin Dr. Kabumba Busingye and friend Prima Kwagala, to execute a non-cash bond of 50 million shillings each. 

Eron Kiiza has also been ordered to deposit his passport with the Court Registrar and only seek permission from the Court should he want to travel outside the Country. 

Kiiza has spent more than 80 days in Kitalya prison, where he was serving a 9-month imprisonment term for contempt of the General Court martial.  He ran out of luck when he was on January 7th 2025 found guilty and summarily sentenced by the General Court martial presided over by Brigadier Robert Freeman Mugabe. 

The Court noted that his conduct at the bar was unbecoming of an advocate. 

Eron Kiiza had gone to represent  Col Dr. Kiiza Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutaale who were at that time battling charges of treachery and being in illegal possession of ammunition and firearms. 

However, being dissatisfied with the sentence, Kiiza appealed against this sentence and also applied for bail, which has been granted.

Among the grounds for his bail was that the  Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo, gave a landmark decision in which it banned the trials of civilians like him in the General Court Martial. 

He said he was accordingly serving an illegal sentence.  However, his appeal is still pending and has not yet been determined on its merits. 

Eron Kiiza’s lawyers and friends have, however, said that the 20 million shillings is too much for a person seeking justice.