Uganda: Lawyers Raise Concerns Over Handling of Case Against Driver in Next Media Crash

What the report says

Lawyers for the families of former Next Media employees Isaac Ndamagye and Badru Kasirye have asked Uganda’s Kajjansi Magistrates Court to let the relatives take a fuller role in the criminal case linked to the men’s deaths. The request was raised on Friday in Kampala during proceedings against 45-year-old John Baptist Junior Kigozi, who faces charges connected to a road crash on August 7, 2026, in the Namulanda area along Entebbe Road.

According to the report published by Nile Post and carried by AllAfrica, prosecutors say Kigozi was driving a Toyota Hilux that collided with a vehicle carrying three Next Media employees. Ndamagye and Kasirye were killed, while their colleague Brian Makona was seriously injured. Kigozi previously denied the charges and was remanded in custody after his first court appearance.

The hearing did not move forward on Friday because the magistrate assigned to the matter was unavailable and the government prosecutor did not appear. Magistrate Paska Olupot adjourned the case to August 31, 2026. The families’ lawyers, led by Sarah Atai, said they had received limited communication about the case and asked the court to consider whether the government should withdraw from the matter, while also seeking more direct involvement for the bereaved families.

The next hearing is expected to address Kigozi’s bail application and other procedural issues. The case is being watched closely because it concerns the criminal response to a fatal crash involving media workers and the extent to which victims’ families can participate in such proceedings.