MP Zaake Jailed Over Traffic Offences

Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament Francis Zaake has been remanded to Luzira Prison. He faces charges of driving without a valid permit and disobeying lawful orders. The lawmaker is also accused of careless or inconsiderate use of a motor vehicle, as outlined in section 119 of the Traffic and Road Safety Act 2020.

If found guilty of disobeying lawful orders, Zaake could face up to three years in prison. Driving without a valid permit carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail. On Monday, July 22, 2024, Zaake appeared before Law Development Centre Grade One Magistrate Martins Kirya and denied the charges.

State Attorney Timothy Aduti informed the court that investigations are ongoing and requested more time for the police to complete their inquiries. Zaake applied for bail, asserting his innocence until proven guilty. The magistrate will rule on his bail application on July 25, 2024.

Zaake is alleged to have committed the offenses on July 22, 2024, at Makerere Kavule on Bombo Road in Kampala district. He purportedly drove a black Nissan with registration number UBD 184C carelessly, obstructing the road and without a valid driving license. It is also claimed that he refused to stop when signaled by a police officer in uniform.

In a related development, the National Unity Platform (NUP), Zaake’s party, reported that their party headquarters faced heavy military and police presence, which hindered their planned press conference. Several NUP leaders, including Deputy President Dr. Lina Zedriga Waru, Youth Wing leader Francis Zaake, Baale County MP Charles Tebandeke, and Katikamu South MP Hassan Kirumira, were arrested.

Despite these arrests, the police have not provided a statement justifying their actions at the time of publishing. The NUP claims that the regime is trying to portray the ongoing #March2Parliament protests as an NUP initiative, which the party denies organizing but supports due to their stance against injustice and corruption.