Africa-Press – Uganda. A Member of Parliament (MP) for a constituency in Kasese District has been released from the Katojjo Civil Prison in Fort Portal after spending two weeks behind bars over a debt, authorities have said.
The Busongora South County lawmaker Gideon Thembo Mujungu was December 5 committed to the prison by Fort Portal High Court Deputy Registrar Francis Dawa Matenga following his detention that stemmed from an arrest warrant issued by Fort Portal High Court in June 2023- after his predecessor Jackson Mbaju Kathika claimed that the MP owed him Shs183million.
Consequently, court ordered him to pay Shs183million, of which he initially cleared Shs40million.
Mujungu incurred the debt through court costs in the aftermath of a 2021 election petition.
Court bailiffs picked him from his home in Kasese Municipality on December 5 after he failed to meet the full payment.
Despite Mujungu’s plea to pay Shs10million and establish a new payment schedule, Kathika insisted on the full amount before allowing his release. Consequently, Deputy Registrar Francis Dawa Matenga sent Mujungu to Katojjo Prison.
After 13 days in custody, Mujungu appeared before Fort Port High Court Acting Deputy Registrar Ivan Nkwasibwe.
Mujungu was released upon making a down payment of Shs60 million and committing to pay the remaining Shs90 million within three months.
He presented his guarantors as Busongora North MP Sowedi Kitanywa and his son Cranmer Mumbere.
Winnie Bwambale from Guma and Co. Advocates, representing Kathika, stated: “The legislator’s family approached us and asked that we consent that he gets released from prison. They also committed that they would push him to pay our money and assured us that this time he wouldn’t play monkey tricks.”
Kathika had initially lost the election petition but successfully appealed, leading to the nullification of Mujungu’s election with Shs183 million in costs.
But the Electoral Commission organized a by-election in August 2023 through which Mujungu reclaimed his parliamentary seat.
Mujungu contested the costs, arguing that he was not personally found liable for electoral malpractices. However, Fort Portal High Court Judge Vincent Emmy Mugabo dismissed his applications, affirming the execution of the decree by the Court of Appeal and emphasizing that the High Court lacked jurisdiction to interfere with superior court orders.
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