Eight medical interns and health workers arrested during a protest over the non-payment of medical interns have been granted bail by the Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court. Grade One Magistrate Rophine Acayo on Monday granted each of the accused cash bail of Shs200,000, while their sureties, who included relatives, friends and fellow medical doctors, were bonded at Shs3 million each in non-cash bail.
As a condition of their release, the court ordered the eight not to commit a similar offence. The bail followed an application by the defence lawyers, led by Yasin Ssentumbwe Munagomba of the Foundation for Initiative for Human Rights, who argued that the accused are medical professionals serving the public and should be allowed to return to their professional duties.
The eight were arrested on August 12 along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala while wearing white medical coats and carrying placards protesting the government’s failure to pay medical interns. They were subsequently charged with being a nuisance on a public road, contrary to Section 67(1)(e) and 1(a) of the Roads Act, Chapter 346.
The accused are Dr Jamadah Kagahe, 26; Jane Nantege, 25, an intern pharmacist; Lawrence William Mukiibi, 26, a nurse; Nicholas Wamuwaya, 28; Silver Ssengonga, 27; Allan Okwir, 26, a pharmacist; Daniel Kirunda, 33, an intern doctor at Kiruddu Hospital; and Ggala Luke, 32, an intern doctor at Kiryandongo General Hospital.
They denied the charges when they appeared before Magistrate Acayo on Friday. The prosecution alleges that the eight positioned themselves on Parliamentary Avenue in a manner that caused danger or inconvenience to traffic. They were also accused of carrying placards bearing messages including, “Say No to NET Policy,” “No Pay, No Reporting,” and “For the Good of All Ugandans Pay All Medical Interns.”
On Monday, dozens of medical workers dressed in clinical coats turned up at court in solidarity with the accused, filling the courtroom. The supporters were later ordered to remove their clinical coats because they were not at a hospital. During the earlier proceedings, the defence told the court that the accused had been introduced by the Uganda Medical Association and the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns.
The prosecution informed the court that investigations into the matter had been completed and asked for a hearing date to be fixed. The case comes amid growing complaints from medical interns over the alleged government policy not to pay internship allowances during their mandatory one-year deployment, alongside concerns over poor welfare and delayed deployment.
The interns argue that the lack of financial support affects their ability to report for internship and ultimately provide services at health facilities. The case will return to court on September 21, 2026, when the hearing is scheduled to commence-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
