The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) has defended supporters who have pleaded guilty to criminal charges while on remand, saying the decisions should be understood as a response to prolonged detention and repeated denial of bail rather than an admission of wrongdoing.
In a statement issued after several party supporters entered guilty pleas or plea bargain arrangements, NUP said it does not encourage members to incriminate themselves but recognises the difficult circumstances that have driven some to take that route.
NUP linked the development to what it described as an increasingly restrictive approach to granting bail, citing President Yoweri Museveni’s recent remarks urging judicial officers not to release what he called “opposition lawbreakers.”
In a televised national address last Saturday, President Museveni argued that courts should exercise caution when granting bail to opposition suspects, saying they could interfere with witnesses. He has repeatedly criticised the granting of bail to suspects facing capital offences, arguing that public safety and the integrity of investigations should take precedence.
Among the most prominent opposition figures affected is Dr Kizza Besigye, the four-time presidential candidate, who has spent close to two years on remand after courts repeatedly declined to release him on bail.
NUP argued that for some detainees, pleading guilty has become the quickest legal avenue to regain their freedom after years of incarceration. According to the party, many of those in detention have spent lengthy periods on remand without trial, with little hope of securing bail. The party maintained that choosing to plead guilty does not necessarily amount to an admission that the alleged offences were committed, but rather reflects the pressure and hardship associated with prolonged detention.
While reiterating that it does not encourage self-incrimination, NUP said it would not condemn supporters who resort to plea bargains or guilty pleas through legally recognised procedures to avoid prison. The party added that what matters most is how those supporters conduct themselves after regaining their freedom.
But NUP praised those who have refused to admit guilt despite remaining behind bars, describing them as the true heroes whose commitment deserves recognition and continued support.
The statement follows recent developments in Uganda’s criminal justice system, where courts have increasingly denied bail to opposition figures facing serious charges.
NUP says more than 150 of its supporters remain in detention on what it describes as politically motivated and fabricated charges. The party says some were arrested during the run-up to the 2021 general elections, while others were detained in the aftermath of the January 2026 polls.
The issue has remained contentious since the 2021 elections, when hundreds of opposition supporters were arrested during and after the campaigns. In several cases, detainees accepted plea bargains or pleaded guilty, received lighter sentences and were later released through presidential pardons.
Others rejected the option, insisting on their innocence, and continue to be held on remand, mainly at Luzira and Kitalya prisons, as their cases move slowly through the courts. The latest statement comes a day after the High Court granted bail to former Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, who had been on remand at Kitalya Prison since January.
Kivumbi was arrested following violent clashes in Butambala District in which more than 10 people were shot dead at his residence during a security operation. Authorities accused him of offences linked to the incident, although details of the arrangement under which he secured his release have not yet been made public-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
