Nine supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) who have been held in military custody since the aftermath of the 2021 general elections have been granted amnesty by the General Court Martial in Makindye, paving the way for their release and reintegration into society.
The decision was made on Friday after the prosecution informed the court that it had no objection to the applicants’ requests for amnesty, which had been submitted through the Amnesty Commission.
A panel of the General Court Martial chaired by Brig. Richard Tukacungurwa directed that the nine be handed over to the Amnesty Commission to undergo rehabilitation, counselling and reintegration in accordance with the Amnesty Act.
Nathan Twinomugisha, the Principal Legal Officer at the Amnesty Commission, was present in court and formally received the beneficiaries on behalf of the commission.
The group had been jointly charged with treachery under Section 127(a) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Act and unlawful possession of ammunition under Section 158(2)(c) of the same law.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly operated between March and May 2021 in Kampala Metropolitan areas including Kireka, Nakulabye, Kawempe, Natete and Nakasero, as well as in Jinja and Mbale cities. They were accused of acting as agents of a rebel group identified as “Bali Bali.”
The prosecution alleged that the group recruited members, underwent military-style training and carried out improvised explosive device attacks targeting government vehicles and other public infrastructure, actions it said threatened national security.
They were also accused of unlawfully possessing improvised explosive devices between November 2020 and May 2021 in Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja and Mbale.
Court heard that the applicants acknowledged involvement in the rebellion and renounced armed activities, making them eligible for amnesty under the Amnesty Act.
The nine were represented by Major Simon Busagwa Nsubuga, while the Director of Prosecutions at the General Court Martial, Lt. Col. Raphael Mugisha, confirmed that the State did not oppose their applications.
The beneficiaries are Yasin Ssekitoleko alias “Machete”, Patrick Mwase, Sharif Kalanzi, Joseph Muwonge, Abdalla Kintu, Emma Umar Kato, Musa Kavuma, Jimmy Galukande and Abdallah Hakim Gibusiwa.
Following their transfer to the Amnesty Commission, they will undergo rehabilitation and counselling before being reintegrated into their families and communities.
The nine are among dozens of NUP supporters arrested following the disputed 2021 general elections whose cases remained before the General Court Martial for several years.
In November 2024, President Yoweri Museveni pardoned 19 of their co-accused after they pleaded guilty before the military court and were convicted by a panel then chaired by Brig. Robert Freeman Mugabe.
Unlike those who accepted plea agreements, the nine granted amnesty on Friday had remained in custody after maintaining that the charges against them were fabricated.
The case originated from allegations by the Uganda Police Force that the accused had planned petrol bomb attacks on government vehicles and public installations ahead of President Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony in May 2021 following the presidential election.
Investigators also linked the suspects to attacks on several targets, including the Kasubi Royal Tombs, the offices of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, Katwe Police Station and the former Jinja Resident City Commissioner, Eric Sakwa.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the then Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, now known as the Defence Intelligence and Security, and were subsequently charged before the General Court Martial.
Over the years, the accused made several unsuccessful attempts to secure bail as the case remained pending.
NUP has consistently maintained that many of its supporters were wrongfully prosecuted following the 2021 elections and has previously alleged that some detainees pleaded guilty after prolonged detention in order to secure their freedom.
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