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Nixon Agasirwe Karuhanga who is said to have paid Joan Kagezi killers.
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has opposed the bail application filed by former Special Investigations Unit commander SSP Nickson Agasiirwe Karuhanga, arguing that he is a flight risk, could interfere with witnesses and investigations, and has presented weak sureties who cannot guarantee his appearance in court.
Agasiirwe is seeking to be released on charges of murdering Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Namazzi Kagezi about 11 years ago. His bail application is pending determination on March 19th 2026 before High Court Criminal Division Judge Isaac Muwata in Kampala.
In written submissions that Uganda Radio Network has seen, Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka is urging the court to dismiss the application, saying neither Agasiirwe nor his proposed sureties have satisfied the legal requirements for bail under the Constitutional (Bail Guidelines for Courts of Judicature) Practice Directions, 2022.
The prosecution argues that the three sureties presented by Agasiirwe , Alozious Muhangi, David Kureeba and Leeman Mugume are not substantial enough to ensure that he will comply with bail conditions. According to the State, two of the sureties are younger than Agasiirwe which undermines their authority and ability to compel him to appear in court if he absconds. Agasiirwe is 54 years old while Kureeba and Mugume are 52 and 46 respectively.
The State also submitted that the LC introduction letters for two of the sureties fail to confirm that they are permanent residents of the areas they claim to live in, a requirement under the bail guidelines. Prosecutors argued that merely stating that the sureties are residents of certain areas without confirming permanent residence makes it risky to entrust them with responsibility over Agasiirwe.
The State has also raised concerns about the relationship between Agasiirwe and the proposed sureties, noting that he presented one cousin and two friends.
According to the DPP, such relationships do not provide sufficient assurance that the sureties can influence the applicant to comply with bail conditions if released.
Prosecutors have also questioned the financial capability of the sureties to guarantee the bail bond. Muhangi and Mugume presented bank statements and land titles to demonstrate financial capacity, but the State is arguing that the documents indicate limited financial strength or capacity.
In Muhangi’s case, Prosecution says the bank statement only reflects transactions for January 2026, suggesting that the account may have been opened or reactivated recently for the purpose of supporting the bail application.
Mugume’s bank statement from a microfinance institution reportedly shows only three months of transactions with low values of money.
The third surety, Kureeba, presented a land purchase agreement for property valued at Shs2.1 million which prosecution said was not translated into English and does not demonstrate sufficient financial capacity to meet bail bond terms.
The State is also arguing that Agasiirwe faces a serious charge of murder which carries a possible death sentence upon conviction, increasing the likelihood that he could abscond if granted bail.
Prosecutors submitted that as a senior police officer, Agasiirwe may be unwilling to lose his status and could attempt to evade trial to avoid the severe consequences of a conviction.
They further warned that under the East African Community free movement policy, that Agasiirwe could easily leave Uganda using only his national identity card, making him a potential flight risk.
The prosecution also told court that releasing Agasiirwe could lead to interference with witnesses and investigations. Prosecutors noted that many of the witnesses they intend to bring to pin Agasiirwe of murder in this case are junior police officers and argued that the applicant, as a former high-ranking officer, could use his influence to intimidate or interfere with them.
The State also maintained that the alleged murder was highly organised and involved several individuals who are yet to be arrested, adding that granting bail at this stage could compromise ongoing investigations.
Agasiirwe is seeking mandatory bail under Article 23(6)(c) of the Constitution, arguing that he has spent more than 180 days on remand without trial. However, the DPP contends that the right to mandatory bail was overtaken by events after prosecutors filed committal papers before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on December 16, 2025.
According to the prosecution, once the indictment and summary of the case are filed before the Magistrates Court, the Director of Public Prosecutions is deemed to have fulfilled his duty under Section 168(1) of the Magistrates Courts Act, meaning the accused can no longer rely on the mandatory bail provision.
The Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala has set March 19th 2026 to rule on Agasiirwe’s bail application. Justice Isaac Muwata fixed the date on Thursday after confirming that both the defence team and the prosecution had filed their written submissions via Electronic Court Case Management Information System, the submissions that Our Reporter has successfully accessed today.
Agasiirwe was arrested on May 21, 2025 in Lugogo, Kampala and initially detained at the Flying Squad headquarters in Kireka before being transferred to the Mbuya Military Detention Centre. He was later charged before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on June 16, 2025 and remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison where he remains in custody.
Through his lawyers Akampurira and Partners Advocates and Legal Consultants, Agasiirwe argues that he has appeared in court several times but was not committed to the High Court for trial because investigations were still ongoing.
In an affidavit sworn at Luzira Prison on December 15, 2025, Agasiirwe stated that continued detention violates his constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial as well as the presumption of innocence. He also told court that he has a fixed place of abode, substantial sureties and investments including land, and therefore would not abscond if released on bail.
Agasiirwe, who is jointly charged with Abdunoor Ssemujju also known as Minaana, was in December 2025 committed to the High Court for trial over the 2015 murder of Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Namazzi Kagezi.
Kagezi was shot dead on March 30, 2015 in Kiwatule, Nakawa Division as she returned home with her children. Gunmen riding on a motorcycle opened fire when she stopped at a roadside stall.
At the time of death, Kagezi was the lead prosecutor in several high-profile cases including the prosecution of suspects linked to the 2010 Kampala bombings.
Prosecutors allege that Agasiirwe recruited Ssemujju as a police informant despite his criminal background and later facilitated the assassination by providing financing, weapons, intelligence and logistical support.
One of the convicted killers, Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka in 2025 testified before the High Court’s International Crimes Division that a man identified only as “Nixon” paid him and others to carry out the assassination.
Kisekka was later convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder.
Just a few days after Kisekka’s testimony, Agasiirwe was arrested in May 2025.
Agasiirwe and Ssemujju deny the charges and remain on remand awaiting the fixing of their trial date before the High Court Criminal Division.
Agasiirwe had previously spent five years on remand before being granted bail by the General Court Martial in March 2022 on separate charges related to unlawful possession of ammunition and the refoulement of Rwandan refugees.
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www.independent.co.ug, https://www.independent.co.ug/dpp-opposes-agasiirwes-quest-for-bail/
