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National Unity Platform (NUP) officials have condemned the rearrest of two of their party members, Edward Ssebuufu, alias Eddy Mutwe, and Achileo Kivumbi, shortly after a court appearance in Masaka.
The two were slapped with fresh charges at the Kawempe Magistrates Court related to alleged military activities they were involved in.
According to NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, the duo was whisked away “at breakneck speed in a drone” under tight security from Masaka towards Kampala.
Rubongoya suggested that the heavy deployment at the Masaka High Court might have been aimed at ensuring their rearrest in case they were granted bail, calling the incident “an abuse of court processes to settle political scores.”
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New charges at Kawempe Magistrates Court
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, revealed that after the court session in Masaka, Mutwe and Kivumbi were taken to Kawempe Magistrates Court in Kanyanya.
There, they were slapped with a new charge of unlawful drilling. Ssenyonyi described the move as continued persecution of opposition figures, expressing optimism that “in due time, all this will be history.”
Earlier court proceedings in Masaka
Earlier in the day, the Masaka High Court had set Friday, August 22 as the date to rule on whether to grant bail to Mutwe, Kivumbi, and two others—Mugumya Gadafi and Grace Wakabi.
They face multiple charges, including aggravated robbery, four counts of simple robbery, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. These allegations stem from an incident during a burial in Manja village, Lwengo District, on 18 May 2024, where they are accused of assaulting and robbing mourners, including two female journalists.
Mutwe’s lawyer, Samuel Muyizi, argued for his release on bail, noting that his client has a fixed place of residence and no history of skipping bail. He was presented with Hon Goreth Namugga, MP for Mawogola County, and businessman Charles Kirumira Lwanga as sureties. However, state prosecutor Caroline Namuwenge opposed the bail application, questioning the credibility of the sureties and citing national security concerns.
Mutwe’s legal team dismissed these claims, insisting that he has never been convicted of any offence and has not interfered with national security matters.
The rearrest and new charges have intensified political tensions, with the opposition accusing the state of weaponising the justice system against its members.