Lawyer Male Mabirizi granted mandatory bail in Uganda

The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has granted lawyer Male Mabirizi mandatory bail after he spent more than 60 days on remand without his trial commencing. Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa ruled that under the Constitution and the Magistrates Courts Act, the court had no discretion to withhold bail once the statutory threshold for remand was exceeded.

Mabirizi was ordered to pay Shs 2 million in cash bail and provide two sureties who will execute a non-cash bond of Shs 5 million each. Additional conditions include providing details of his permanent residence for verification, depositing his passport, and being barred from leaving Uganda without written permission. He is also prohibited from interfering with prosecution witnesses.

Mabirizi faces four charges under the Computer Misuse Act, including malicious information and hate speech, stemming from alleged TikTok statements targeting Chief Justice Flavian Zeija and Court of Appeal Justice Musa Ssekaana. While bail was granted, the court declined his application to dismiss the case due to lack of prosecution.