The State has withdrawn criminal trespass charges against 11 NRM supporters who had been detained after returning to State House Nakasero to follow up on a petition they had sought to have delivered to President Yoweri Museveni.
The supporters were accordingly set free on Wednesday, after the prosecution, led by State Attorneys Ayubu Kamba and Allan Mucunguzi, told the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court that it would no longer pursue the charges.
As a result, Senior Principal Magistrate Grade One Winnie Nankya Jatiko dismissed the case and ordered the release of the accused, who had been held at Luzira Prison since their appearance in court on September 9th 2026.
The 11 set free are: m 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. These individuals had been charged under Section 282(b) of the Penal Code Act.
The charge related to an incident at State House Nakasero on September 9, when the group returned to the presidential premises after an earlier visit to deliver a petition.
According to the prosecution case previously presented in court, the group had initially been allowed onto the premises but was later accused of remaining there with an alleged intention to intimidate or annoy Special Forces Command (SFC) soldiers on duty. The SFC is an elite unit of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces charged with guarding the President of Uganda. But all 11 accused persons denied the allegations and were sent to prison for two weeks until today.
The arrest and the subsequent case followed a visit by the group to State House recently. Court records indicated that their petition was received and stamped, after which they were told that they would be contacted and given feedback.
When they returned the following day without having received the anticipated response, security personnel contacted police at the neighbouring Central Police Station in Kampala, which arrested them. The State subsequently charged the group with criminal trespass, and they were remanded to Luzira pending today, when the matter was for an update on the progress of investigations.
On Wednesday, however, the prosecution informed the court that it was withdrawing the charges. The move followed an additional statement from the complainant and investigating officer, Herbert Tumusiime.
Following the withdrawal of the case, Magistrate Jatiko was left with no option but to dismiss the charges and directed that the accused be discharged from custody. The majority of the accused persons are politicians who are NRM-leaning and participated in the recent elections unsuccessfully-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
