Kampala socialite and businessman Bryan Kirumira, better known as Bryan White, has been granted mandatory bail by the High Court after spending 293 days on remand without his case being committed for trial.

Justice Gadenya Paul Wolimbwa ruled that Kirumira had been held for 113 days beyond the constitutionally allowed 180-day period under Article 23(6)(c) of the Constitution. The provision requires that a person charged with an offence triable only by the High Court must be released on bail if they have spent 180 days in custody without being committed for trial.

Kirumira was arrested on 13 November 2025 and detained at Upper Prison, Luzira. He faces six charges, including aggravated human sacrifice, manslaughter, possession of narcotic drugs, conspiracy to commit a felony, giving false information and engaging in rash and negligent acts. The case is linked to the death of 25-year-old Caroline Nalubwama.

He is jointly charged with four others — his wife Naava Nakato, Daisy Nalunga, advocacy officer Daphine Abaho and Joyce Irene Nambalirwa, an administrator of Mukyala Mabirizi Nursing Home — before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court.

In his ruling, Justice Wolimbwa noted that the human sacrifice charge carries a maximum sentence of death and is therefore triable only by the High Court. He emphasised that the constitutional right to mandatory bail is triggered by the passage of time, regardless of the seriousness of the allegations or who is responsible for the delay in committal.

“The applicant has been on remand for two hundred and ninety-three days. He has accordingly been held for one hundred and thirteen days beyond the day on which the Constitution required that he be released,” the judge stated.

The court ordered Kirumira to deposit a cash bail of Shs 10 million and provide two substantial sureties, each executing a non-cash bond of Shs 50 million. The proposed sureties — his paternal uncle Andrew Kizza Bulyake and brother-in-law Phillip Gitta — are subject to verification by the Deputy Registrar of the Criminal Division before release.

Kirumira will be required to report to the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court according to its schedule. If the case is later committed to the High Court, he must report to the Deputy Registrar on the first Monday of every month.

The grant of bail does not amount to an acquittal. The charges against Kirumira and his co-accused remain active, and the case is expected to proceed once investigations and committal processes are completed.

The ruling highlights ongoing concerns about delays in the justice system, particularly for capital offences that can only be tried by the High Court. For now, Bryan White is set to regain his freedom after nearly 10 months behind bars, subject to fulfilling the bail conditions.