Court Grants Mabirizi Mandatory Bail, Sets Shs2 Million Cash Bail

What the report says

Kampala Chief Magistrate’s Court has granted lawyer and activist Male H. Mabirizi K. Kiwanuka mandatory bail, opening the way for his release once he meets a set of conditions. The ruling, delivered on Friday, August 21, 2026, at Buganda Road Court by Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa, came after the court also dismissed two notices of reference to the Constitutional Court and turned down Mabirizi’s request to have the case thrown out for lack of prosecution.

Under the order reported by Nile Post, Mabirizi must pay a Shs2 million cash deposit and provide two sureties, each with a valid national ID and a non-cash bond of Shs5 million. The court also required verification of his place of residence and directed that his passport be surrendered to court. He is not allowed to leave Uganda without written permission until the trial ends.

The magistrate further barred him from interfering with prosecution witnesses and instructed him to attend court in person whenever the case is listed. The court warned that any breach of the bail terms could lead to cancellation of the bail. In general, mandatory bail is a legal release granted subject to conditions while a case continues, though the specific grounds for this decision were not detailed in the supplied report.