The Grade One Magistrate Court in Luwero town council has remanded 36 supporters of National Unity Platform to Prison for engaging in election protests.
The accsed are Eddie Ssekanjako -23, Hassan Ssejjengo – 30, Kasule Jamir – 33 ,Mutaawe Sharifah – 23, Steven Nuwamanya – 27, Allan Byaruhanga – 35, Fred Katende – 27, Umar Ssemujju- 22 Joshua Bandikubi-24, Ivan Kaweesa – 24, Geoffrey Ayebare – 32 and Johnbosco Sserubombwe – 22.
Others are Yasin Nyanzi – 27, Jimmy Wasswa – 19, Patrick Kiryowa – 27,Alex Tumwebaze – 24, Suudi Ojok – 23, Regan Kasozi – 20, William Abaho – 20, Ismael Odoi, Geoffrey Katumba – 27 Charles Kisuze – 34, Ismael Ssenyonga – 19, Musa Oketcho – 26, Magid Musisi Luyimbazi – 28, Saaka Kalungi – 30 and Musa Kizza – 30 among others. They are all from Luwero town council , Butuntumula and Luwero sub counties.
The supporters appeared before Luwero Grade One Magistrate Christopher Adyeeri Tindyeebwa on Tuesday evening at around 6;30pm and charges of participating in riots contrary to sections 62 and 69 of the penal code act were read to them.
Prosecution led by Racheal Kirabo says that between 15th and 17th January 2026 the accused persons took part in riots in Binyonyi and other zones in Luwero town council. Each accused person was charged with a single count.
All accused persons denied the charges and the State Attorney asked Court to adjourn the case saying that investigations into the matter were ongoing.
Erastus Kibirango the Defense Lawyer for the accused persons applied for bail saying it was their right and that he had already uploaded the LC 1 recommendation letters and copies of National Ids of the sureties at Electronic Court Case Management Information system.
However the Magistrate Adyeeri said that although it was the right of accused persons to apply for bail, he couldn’t proceed with the applications because it was late and prison officers needed time to drive inmates to cells.
At around 7pm, the Magistrate remanded 21 accused persons to Prison until 4th February and 15 others to prison till 3rd February, 2026 when their bail applications will be heard.
The accused were then loaded onto the Prison bus and driven to Butuntumula Prison.
Defense lawyer Kibirango later told URN that he will apply for production warrant so that the bail applications of accused persons can be heard before remand days.
According to section 62 of the penal code act, any person who takes part in an unlawful assembly commits a misdemeanour and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term of one year.
Section 69 further indicates that any persons who, being riotously assembled together, unlawfully damage any of the things mentioned in section 68 commits a felony, and each of them is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term of seven years.
On 15th January, 2026 protests broke out around 7:00 p.m. after security personnel blocked voters from accessing Luwero Islamic Primary School polling station, where vote counting was taking place.
The polling station is located within school premises and was reportedly closed to the public, leaving only polling agents inside to witness the counting process.
The move angered supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidates, who protested what they described as lack of transparency. The situation escalated further after allegations spread in town that there were attempts to rig the elections in favour of National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidates.
Protesters mounted barricades and burnt tyres along the Kampala–Gulu highway, disrupting traffic and paralysing transport for several hours. Police and UPDF soldiers deployed to disperse the protesters, firing tear gas and live bullets. The confrontation lasted close to six hours.
During the unrest, three people were killed by bullets. The deceased were identified as Sarah Nagayi, 36, a resident of Kikubajinja; Ibrahim Sserubiri, 18, from Mabbale Zone; and Robert Sseninde, a resident of Lumu Zone.
On the following day, the youths also staged another protest challenging the delay to declare the results from Parliamentary elections. UPDF and Policemen were able to quell the protests within a short time.
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