By KT Reporter
A criminal summons has been issued against Jolly Jackline Tukamushaba, a former Rukiga District Woman Member of Parliament (MP) contestant and Western Region Vice Chairperson of the National Unity Platform (NUP), for failing to appear in court.
Tukamushaba, a resident of Kigara B Village, Kigara Parish, Kamwezi Sub-county in Rukiga District, reportedly went missing on January 14, 2026, a day before polling. She was allegedly abducted by armed operatives dressed in Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) uniforms from a hotel in Muhanga Town, Rukiga District, and driven away in a Toyota Hiace, commonly known as a “drone.” She was reportedly held incommunicado without access to her family, lawyers, or the courts.
On February 6, 2026, Tukamushaba was presented before the Kabale Chief Magistrate’s Court and charged with incitement to violence contrary to Section 79(1) of the Penal Code Act, Cap 128. She was remanded to Ndorwa Government Prison. The prosecution alleges that in December 2025 and January 2026, at various locations in Western Uganda, including Rukiga, Kabale, and Rukungiri districts, Tukamushaba incited members of the public to commit acts of violence against supporters of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) on account of their political opinion.
Although she had been remanded until February 24, 2026, Tukamushaba was brought to court on Thursday, February 19, 2026, brought to court and released on bail. The case was adjourned to Tuesday. During the court session on Tuesday morning, State Prosecutor Isaac Onyango asked the court to issue a criminal summons, saying Tukamushaba had failed to appear without notifying the court. Tukamushaba’s lawyer, Innocent Muhereza of Elgon and Company Advocates, requested the court not to issue the summons, stating that his client was on her way to court.
However, Kabale Chief Magistrate Derrick Byamugisha proceeded to issue the criminal summons, noting that the court had not been formally notified of Tukamushaba’s whereabouts. Byamugisha adjourned the case until March 7, 2026. Later, Tukamushaba told our reporter that she had reached Ntungamo District and was heading to court. By press time, she had not yet arrived.
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