Kampala -- Lawyers representing the families of former Next Media employees Isaac Ndamagye and Badru Kasirye have asked the Kajjansi Magistrates Court to consider allowing the families to participate more fully in the criminal case arising from their deaths.

The lawyers, led by Sarah Atai, raised the concerns on Friday as the case against 45-year-old John Baptist Junior Kigozi came before court.

Kigozi is facing two charges arising from the deaths of Ndamagye and Kasirye, who were killed in a road crash on August 7, 2026, along Entebbe Road in the Namulanda area.

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Prosecution alleges that Kigozi was driving a Toyota Hilux when it collided with a vehicle carrying three Next Media employees.

The crash killed Ndamagye and Kasirye and left their colleague, Brian Makona, seriously injured.

Kigozi denied the charges when he first appeared in court and was subsequently remanded in custody.

However, the case could not proceed as scheduled on Friday after the magistrate handling the matter was unavailable and the government prosecutor failed to appear.

Magistrate Paska Olupot consequently adjourned the case to August 31, 2026.

During the proceedings, the lawyers representing the families raised concerns over what they described as inadequate communication about developments in the case.

They asked the court to consider their request for the government to withdraw from the matter, citing what they described as suspicious circumstances surrounding the way the case has been handled.

The lawyers also sought greater involvement of the families in proceedings, arguing that the relatives of the deceased should be kept informed about the progress of a case directly arising from the deaths of their loved ones.

The court did not proceed with the substantive hearing on Friday because of the absence of the magistrate handling the matter and the government prosecutor.

When the parties return on August 31, the court is expected to consider Kigozi's bail application and other issues arising from the proceedings.

The case will determine whether the prosecution's allegations against Kigozi are proved and will address the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Ndamagye and Kasirye.