It was a long- awaited sigh of relief for veteran fashion designer Latif Madoi, as the Kasangati Grade One Magistrate’s court officially dismissed the criminal case against him on April 4, 2025.
Presiding magistrate Edger Nyakairu dropped the charges for “want of prosecution” under Section 119 of the Magistrates Courts Act—a legal term meaning the state failed to move forward with the case.
For Madoi, 47, the ruling marked the end of a nearly year-long ordeal that began with a high-profile arrest in May 2024. But while his legal slate may now be clean, the damage to his life and career remains painfully visible.
Madoi was arrested on May 13, 2024, at his LA Fashion and Skills Development School in Jokolera village, Kasangati. Eyewitnesses recall a dramatic scene: a convoy of armed officers—some in military camouflage, others in plain clothes—stormed the school, detaining Madoi and four of his students.
The charges? Allegations that Madoi was producing military-style attire for supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
While Madoi admitted to tailoring outfits for Kyagulanyi—strictly on a paid, professional basis—he insisted he was never involved in any political activity. Nonetheless, he was remanded to Kasangati prison from May 17 to June 24, 2024, during which, he says, he suffered humiliating treatment.
“My dignity was abused to the core,” Madoi recounted in a previous interview with The Observer. “I was given a torn uniform with holes in the back. The armpits stank so badly that I walked with my arms outstretched to avoid skin contact.”
He also shared the trauma of having to cut off his signature dreadlocks, which he had worn for 17 years—an act that many viewed as symbolic degradation. With the court now dismissing the charges, Magistrate Nyakairu also ordered the release of Madoi’s bail money, the return of all property seized during the arrest, and the discharge of his sureties.
According to the police’s own search certificate, several items were taken from his premises, including camouflage fabrics, tailoring equipment, school documents, and even a raincoat and red threads—items Madoi insists were simply part of his fashion inventory.
But even as his name is cleared, Madoi says the stigma has left his business in ruins.
“I haven’t registered a single new student since my arrest,” he lamented.
“Parents are scared off by the narrative that I train students to make illegal uniforms. It’s false, but the damage is done.”
An attempt to expand his business with a new branch in Makerere has also stumbled.
“My landlord warned me not to get involved with anything linked to NUP. But what can I do when orders come from NUP supporters? I have a family to feed,” said the father of three.
Even clients who once relied on his fashion designs are now keeping their distance.
“This campaign season should have been my busiest,” he said, “but no one wants to be seen wearing red or ordering anything political.”
On April 8, Madoi was directed to submit a formal application for the return of his seized items. He was told the application would be reviewed by the state before being forwarded to the officer-in-charge (OC) of Kasangati.
His lawyer, George Musisi, was candid in his assessment: “There was never a real case. This was a classic example of political persecution, pure and simple.”
Musisi added that although the state claimed to have completed its investigations, no witness was ever produced in court, further proving the case lacked substance.
He revealed they are planning to apply for the refund of Madoi’s Shs 1 million bail, though he described the process as needlessly complex and discouraging.
“You have to write to court, then it goes to the chief magistrate, then the permanent secretary of the Judiciary, and eventually to the secretary to the Treasury,” he explained.
“It’s so tedious that most people give up. But we won’t—we’re not donating money to the state.”
He also hinted that a lawsuit for damages could be forthcoming.
“We’re reviewing the case. His rights were clearly violated during his arrest, detention, and the conditions of his imprisonment.”
For now, Madoi is left to pick up the pieces— not just of his business, but of his dignity, his livelihood, and his place in a society where political labels can carry real consequences.
“I just want to get back to my work,” he said. “I’m not a politician. I’m a designer. I train students. That’s all I’ve ever done.”
