President Museveni cannot be subjected to any court proceedings while still in office, Grade One Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu has ruled.
Kamasanyu also said summoning the President amounts to the breach of the Constitution.
She was responding to a request by former Makerere University researcher Dr Stella Nyanzi – through lawyers Isaac Ssemakadde and Derrick Bazekuketa – to have the President and 20 others appear in court as defence witness in the cyber harassment and offensive communication charges she faces.
Prosecution alleges that on September 16, 2018, Nyanzi who has been jailed since November 2018, posted on her Facebook page posts that were intended to disturb the peace and right to privacy of President and his late mother Esteeri Kokundeka.
“It breaches the Constitution of this mighty country to summon the President to this court. Witness summons will be issued to the rest of the 19 witnesses but not to the president,” Kamasanyu on Monday.
“The president may, however, appear voluntarily if he so wishes, but this court shall not summon him because it is against the law and the constitution of this mighty country Uganda. Therefore your application is hereby ruled out.”
The case was adjourned to Wednesday, July 3 for defence hearing.
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