The Rwenzururu king Charles Wesley Mumbere and 161 of his royal guards have been charged with treason over their participation in Kasese clashes that left more than 100 dead and scores injured
The group mainly in youthful age between 18 and 35 was on Wednesday paraded in Jinja Chief Magistrates court judge John Francis Kagwa some with rotting gunshot wounds that have not been accorded treatment while in police cells.
Mumbere and the Royal Guards were presented with a list of 41 counts of crimes allegedly committed between March and November 2016 within the Rwenzori region. The suspects include 19 women and four juveniles.
The other charges include terrorism, murder, aggravated robbery, attempted murder and malicious damage to property.
Prosecution alleges that Mumbere and his co accused persons, between March and November 2016, at diverse place within Kabarole and Kasese districts, contrived a plot to overturn the government of Uganda by forces of arms.
The new charge-sheet indicates that the accused persons expressed the plot through attacks on various police establishments, killing of police officers, robbing arms and ammunition and recruitment of individuals to join in an armed insurrection against government.
Despite protests from Evans Ochieng, one of their defence lawyers about the well-being of the suspects while in prison, Judge Kaggwa went ahead and read the charge that attracts the maximum death sentence.
Mr Ochieng said that more of the guards didn’t make it to court today as they were being treated in hospitals. Over the weekend one of the royal guards died in Nalufenya detention center.
Omusinga Mumbere was on Tuesday also charged with several other counts including terrorism and robbery.
During today’s session, the Court room was filled by only suspects. Opposition MPs mostly those representing Kasese district led by Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Hon Winnie Kizza were present at Court.
