The Kabale Chief Magistrate’s court has dismissed a case in which former For God and My Country (4GC) opposition pressure group activists were accused of inciting violence.

The activists include Dr Kizza Besigye, the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, Ingrid Turinawe, Roland Kaginda, Rukungiri Municipality MP, Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa and Democratic Party vice president in charge of western Uganda, Imam Makumbi.

They were dragged to court by the state for inciting violence against during a public rally at Kabale Municipal stadium in 2012.  Four police officers were injured in the clashes and police vehicles vandalised.

In the ruling on Friday, read by the Kabale Grade One magistrate Stella Mwali, the state failed to produce sufficient evidence to pin the activists. None of the activists were in court.

Shortly after the ruling, the activists’ lawyer Justus Muhangi of Muhangi and Company Advocates said that his clients’ rights had been violated.

“We’re very that the court has come in to protect the rights of the people. Court has found that the people were having an ordinary political gathering with the usual political statements in a politically charged environment…At time it was election time and therefore the people were charged with no intention of inciting violence.” said Muhangi.

Originally named, Activists for Change (A4C), the pressure changed its name to 4GC after it was outlawed in 2012 by then attorney general Peter Nyombi. 4GC rose to prominence by organising the famous walk-to-work street protests that strongly threatened President Museveni’s stronghold on power before it died a natural death arising out of political differences and state brutality.