NUP lawyer advises Olivia Lutaaya to take another plea deal with state; warns others of lifelong consequences

National Unity Platform lawyer Samuel Muyizzi has advised jailed party supporter Olivia Lutaaya to consider another plea deal with the state.

Muyizzi says Lutaaya has “nothing to lose” since her earlier conviction already exposes her to the consequences of having a criminal record.

Muyizzi, however, warned other NUP members facing charges of unlawful military drilling and related offences against pleading guilty without considering the effect on their careers, travel and political ambitions.

He warned that a plea deal requires an accused person to admit the charges in exchange for an agreed outcome, usually involving a reduced sentence or an earlier release.

Such a deal, he said, could make it harder for an individual to secure government employment, obtain police clearance, travel abroad or qualify for some political positions.

The lawyer warned that accused people with no previous convictions risked carrying a damaging record for the rest of their lives.

“It means that you will never be employed anywhere in government or any of the large entities because you have a criminal record; you can no longer leave the country to look for work because you can't get clearance from Interpol. You cannot get a visa either,” he said.

“Some of the accused are councillors and other political leaders… A plea deal means that you can no longer contest in politics. There is so much to lose because that record stays with you for the rest of your life,” Muyizzi said.

Last week, three co-accused in the case involving NUP deputy spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro reportedly pleaded guilty to charges connected to alleged military-style drills at the party’s Makerere-Kavule headquarters.

The three are Sergio Yasin Sserugo, Farouk Baruku and Edwin Sserunkuma. They are expected to negotiate plea arrangements with the prosecution.

The case arose from a parade staged at the NUP headquarters during party president Robert Kyagulanyi’s birthday celebrations on February 12, 2025.

Prosecutors allege that the participants carried out military-style exercises without permission from the Internal Affairs minister.

The accused have generally denied the charges.

Muyizzi said Lutaaya’s circumstances were different because she had already pleaded guilty in an earlier military court case.

“There are some members who we may encourage to take the plea. For instance Olivia Lutaaya, because for her case, she already took another plea deal in the past, so she has nothing to lose. She already faces all these consequences,” he said.

“Because she already has that conviction, we can weigh and advise her to take the deal.”

Lutaaya and 15 other NUP supporters pleaded guilty before the General Court Martial on October 14, 2024, after spending about 40 months in detention.

They faced treachery and unlawful possession of explosive devices charges.

The military court convicted them on October 21, 2024. President Museveni later pardoned Lutaaya and other convicted NUP supporters on November 22, 2024, paving the way for their release.

A presidential pardon ended the punishment but did not erase the fact that the military court had entered a conviction, which is the point Muyizzi relied on while discussing another possible plea.

Security officers arrested Lutaaya again in Mbarara District on November 7, 2025, as NUP supporters accompanied Kyagulanyi to a campaign rally in Bwizibwera.

She appeared before Kanyanya Magistrate’s Court on November 11 and was added to the unlawful drilling case. Prosecutors linked her to the February 2025 parade at the NUP headquarters, although she pleaded not guilty.

The court remanded her alongside other party members, including Mufumbiro, Saudah Madaada, Doreen Kaija, Edward Ssebufu, also known as Eddie Mutwe, and Achileo Kivumbi.

  Meanwhile, Muyizzi warned that Mufumbiro, unlike Lutaaya, had more to lose by accepting a conviction because of his position in the party.

“But for others such as Waiswa Mufumbiro, if he takes the deal, that means he cannot even remain a leader in NUP,” he said.

He said much of the pressure to accept plea deals was coming from relatives who wanted the detainees released after months in custody.

“For now the most pressure is coming from their families who want them out, but for us we encourage them to be patient and not give up,” Muyizzi said.

The lawyer said the defence had successfully pushed for the files to be transferred to the High Court and remained hopeful that the accused would secure bail.

“For instance now we have fought and had their files moved to the High Court. Soon the High Court may grant them bail and usually when bail is granted it means the state doesn't have much interest in the case,” he said.

NUP has said it does not encourage detained members to incriminate themselves but will not condemn those who accept plea deals after prolonged detention and repeated denial of bail.

The party maintains that the drilling charges are politically motivated, while prosecutors insist the accused participated in an unauthorised military-style parade.