By Melanie Aanyu,

The High Court Judge Michael Elubu has ruled that bail conditions given to Rt. Dr. Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye were harsh.

In his ruling delivered today, Elubu said that whereas the trial magistrate, Siena Owomugisha of Buganda Road Court correctly stated that bail terms imposed should be a safeguard that once released on bail, the accused will return for his trial, she exercised her discretion with a material irregularity when she set the bail condition at Shs30 million.

Consequently Elubu reviewed former presidential candidate’s bail from Shs30 million to Shs3 million cash in a case in which he’s accused of incitement to violence.

According to the judge, the Shs30 million set by Siena Owomugisha, as one of the bail conditions for the political activist was harsh and excessive given the case at hand.

He said that since the offence of incitement to violence attracts a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of Shs1.440 million, the cash bail condition cannot be set at Shs30 million which is considered too high.