Former Deputy Attorney General and current State Minister for Labour Mwesigwa Rukutana has today Monday, September 7 been charged with attempted murder in a court of law sitting in Ntungamo, his home district.
Rukutana, a much celebrated legal brain in the country and former lecturer at the Law Development Centre (LDC) spent the weekend in detention at Mbarara Police Station following a confrontation in which a supporter of an opponent was injured. He has also been charged with causing bodily harm and malicious damage.
The Minister was formally charged on Monday afternoon together with three of his bodyguards before the Ntungamo Magistrates Court and remanded to Kyamugorani Prison in Mbarara until Tuesday, when they can apply for bail.
The three were remanded by Ntungamo Magistrate Grade One, Namayanja Nazifah. Predident Museveni in an early Monday morning Twitter thread seemingly disturbed by the violence and cheating in Friday’s NRM party primaries for MP flagbearers indicated that the Minister and several others who caused violence countrywide would face criminal prosecution.
“The cheating in the NRM Primaries is over. Those who beat People, like in Bukono, are all in jail or on the run. Minister Rukutana is in jail and will be prosecuted. They will be fully accountable with robust charges: assault, attempted murder, murder etc”. Museveni tweeted.
The Minister, on Saturday faced nationwide condemnation when he was pictured seizing a rifle from a bodyguard and threatening to shoot them. Rukutana lost the Rushenyi County NRM Primaries to Ms Naome Kabasharira, the former Ntungamo Woman MP.
