KAMPALA, Uganda | The High Court Criminal Division has set the 4th of April 2025 as the date for hearing an application filed by lawyer Eron Kiiza, who was convicted of contempt of court by the General Court Martial in January this year.

Kiiza who appeared before Justice Micheal Elubu today Tuesday 24th march 2025 for his bail hearing showed his sureties Sylivia Tumwebaze his wife, Dr Busingye Kabumba the lecturer at Makerere School of Law, Primah Kwagala the Executive Director of Women’s Probono Innitiative and Anthony Asiimwe the Vice President of Uganda Law Society .

Through his lawyers led by Nicholas Opiyo informed court that they had made written submissions in the case and that of the Director of Public Prosecutions and asked court to adopt their submissions as opposed to making oral arguments .

The judge asked the lead counsel, Nicholas Opiyo, what he had to say about the presented sureties who reside far from the applicant and if they could compel him to return for trial, but Opiyo answered that he had put everything in the affidavit in rejoinder, which is already before the court record.

Kiiza told the court that he had spent 76 days in illegal detention and asked the court to put an end to it , but Justice Elubu fixed the 4th of April as the date to deliver the ruling.

While speaking to the media after the hearing, the lawyers appealed for Kiiza’s release and also asked the judiciary to lift the punishments imposed on the President of Uganda Law Society, Isaac Ssemakadde, who is facing two arrest warrants, including one from Buganda Road Court, where he is wanted for insulting the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, and another for contempt of court after using his social media to abuse Justice Musa Ssekana.

Kenyan lawyer Martha Kurua asked the judiciary to do the right thing, saying that the cases are an indictment of the institution, and said that they are aware of what she described as an assault on the bar of Uganda and it should be condemned.

”Who will stand for the rule of Law when the bar is threatened? The bar in the East African Community is concerned. Even in the case of Eron Kiiza l am obliged to apply for a practicing certificate not just for Kiiza Besigye but also Eron Kiiza if need be,” Kurua said

Sigano David, the CEO East Africa Law Society said that they had come in solidarity with lawyer Eron Kiiza and that his continued detention is not fair and called upon the State to stop what he described as the trend of harassing and detaining lawyers who are doing their duties.

Sigano urged Court to expedite the process of releasing Eron Kiiza and all the civilians who were facing trial in the court martial before the Supreme court banned their trial from military and threatened to file a class action suit against the government if the Supreme decision was not complied with.