By Ephraim Kasozi
The judiciary has explained why the Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere was charged in Jinja.
The government initially planned to arraign the Omusinga in court in his Kasese hometown but made a last-minute change over fears his physical presence in the scarred kingdom could inflame passions and foment more trouble.
There was information earlier yesterday that the king would be charged at the Military Court Martial in Kampala, but that too did not happen.
Details of the official concerns are contained in correspondences between Chief Justice Bart Katureeba and the Director of Public Prosecutions Mike Chibita.
In a November 29 letter, the Chief Justice consented to a request from the DPP to have the king charged elsewhere, saying he had cross-checked with the Chief Magistrate in Kasese and that he was informed the court there had been deserted.
He says that when the situation normalises, he expects that the proceedings will take place in the appropriate court as may be further directed.
It is customary for suspects to be charged in a court located in the area where a crime was committed, and in this case, Mumbere would have been charged in Kasese district where he and others still at large allegedly killed a policeman shortly after the February elections.
He was charged with the murder of a police officer on March 24th before a Magistrate’s Court in Jinja and remanded to Nalufenya police cells until December 13th.
According to the charge sheet, the Omusinga allegedly committed the offence at the Army Detach in Kidodo cell, Central Division Kasese Municipality in Kasese District.
