Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court has remanded 11 people to Luzira Prison until September 23 over allegations of criminal trespass at State House, Nakasero.
The accused appeared before chief magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa today and were remanded after the State charged them with criminal trespass contrary to Section 282(b) of the Penal Code Act, Cap 128.
The ssuspects are Stephen Okello, 31, a teacher; Iddi Kigozi, 34, a manufacturer of school chalk and paint; Joan Muhaise, 32, a businesswoman; Robert Bayiga Tumuramye, 50, a social scientist; Fatiah Nakamya, 35, a businesswoman; Onesmas Tumutegereza, 37, a businessman; Yasin Owomugisha, 33, a businessman and parliamentary aspirant; Esther Twikirize, 32, a student; Cledonia Musiimenta, 47, a former district councillor and student; Caroline Arituha, 32, unemployed; and Seth Muyambi, 40, a former parliamentary contestant for Mbarara City South.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleges that on September 9, 2026, at State House, Nakasero, the accused and others still at large, having lawfully entered the premises, remained there with intent to intimidate or annoy soldiers of the Special Forces Command (SFC) who were on duty.
The accused denied the charges. State Attorney Ayub Kamba told court that investigations into the matter had been completed.
The case stems from a petition the group had delivered to State House a day before their arrest, seeking to have it presented to President Museveni. Court records show that the petition was received and stamped, and the group was informed that they would be contacted and given feedback.
However, the accused returned to State House the following day after they had not received a response, demanding to follow up on the petition. It was during the return visit that they were arrested.
The majority of the accused are politicians aligned to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), with several having unsuccessfully contested in the recent elections.
The prosecution alleges that instead of leaving the premises after following up on their petition, the group remained at State House and acted in a manner that allegedly caused intimidation or annoyance to the SFC personnel on duty.
The magistrate did not consider their bail application at this stage and remanded them to Luzira Prison, when the matter will come up for further proceedings.
But at this rate of remanding every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane, Mary, etc. for every alleged crime of annoying and/or publishing fake news; it seems the prison’s space in the Ugandan prison is measured in infinity!
In other words, guilty or innocent; in Uganda you get arrested, indefinitely remanded and/or imprisoned at your own risk