Some supporters of the leading opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) were pardoned after pleading guilty to charges of treachery and illegal possession of explosives.
However, many are now struggling to reintegrate into society following their release.
They are among 19 NUP supporters granted a presidential pardon in November last year after serving time in prison.
The General Court Martial convicted them after they pleaded guilty to the charges.
Most of those pardoned are young people who were arrested in various parts of the country during the 2021 general election.
They had been actively supporting opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine.
Despite regaining their freedom after spending at least 40 months in prison, many of them are facing difficulties rebuilding their livelihoods.
Some are also dealing with long-term health complications.
At a recent youth symposium in Masaka District, five of the released NUP supporters shared their experiences, expressing regret over their past political involvement.
They described how their imprisonment led to financial ruin and the disintegration of their families.
Among them is Paul Muwanguzi, a resident of Kimanya-Kabonera Division in Masaka City, who says many of his colleagues have been left destitute.
He explains that their families struggled in their absence, with some selling off household possessions to survive. Many of their wives, he adds, lost patience and left.
Muwanguzi, a father of three, says his children were placed under the care of different relatives.
Nearly three months after his release, he has been unable to reunite his family.
Kenneth Kamaanya, another former detainee, says many of those arrested during the election period now share similar hardships.
He has appealed to well-wishers for support in rebuilding their lives.
A former boda boda rider, Kamaanya was arrested during Kyagulanyi’s campaign in Kalangala District.
While reluctant to discuss the details of his guilty plea before the military tribunal, he says his experiences since the 2021 election have discouraged him from engaging in politics again.
“I lost my plot of land where I had planned to build a house for my family. I couldn’t even recover the motorcycle I used for a living. I had no choice but to return to Masaka and start afresh,” he says.
The former detainees have called on Rogers Bulegeya, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) youth chairperson for Masaka, to follow up on promises of support.
These commitments were made by State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, who played a role in securing their presidential pardon.
In response, Bulegeya acknowledged their struggles and pledged to formally petition the minister and President Museveni to support their socio-economic recovery.
Meanwhile, NUP leaders have criticised the circumstances surrounding the release of their supporters.
They argue that the detainees were coerced into pleading guilty to crimes they did not commit.
While some of those released have resumed opposition activities, others have distanced themselves from politics altogether.
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