CAPE TOWN – Former security minister and Ugandan presidential hopeful Henry Tumukunde will spend about two weeks in prison.
Online news publication, The East African said Tumukunde would be remanded in prison until March 30. This is after he appeared at the city hall court on Wednesday on charges of illegal possession of firearms and treason.
Citing the charge sheet, the publication said Tumukunde, on March 13, in Kampala, had a modified AK-47 rifle with 34 rounds of ammunition which he had no valid licence for. He pleaded not guilty.
It further added that the ex-security minister looked frail and had recently been in hospital.
Tumukunde recently announced his intentions to run in the country’s 2021 elections.
He was arrested in a joint operation by Uganda police officers and members of the special force command.
At the time of his arrest, police spokesperson Fred Enanga said the arrest was linked to comments made by Tumukunde on radio and television calling for Rwanda to overthrow Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni.
“The arrest follows his utterances in a series of radio and television interviews, which seeks to foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence, fomenting and glorifying violence in general,” Enanga said in a statement.
