KAMPALA UGANDA: 23 JUNE 2026- In a ruling delivered on June 23, 2026, the Makindye Chief Magistrates Court officially rejected the bail application of prominent politician and Senior Advocate Ssalongo Erias Lukwago.
Lukwago faces charges of Misprision of Treason, with the state alleging he failed to report a known treasonous plot involving Col. (Rtd.) Dr. Kizza Besigye and others between 2021 and 2024.
Key Highlights of the ruling:
Bail Rejected: Chief Magistrate Her Worship Basemera Sarah Anne ruled that despite Lukwago presenting a fixed residence and substantial sureties, the gravity of the offense (which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment) and the fact that cross-border investigations are still actively ongoing weighed against his release.
The court similarly protected the validity of Lukwago’s three prominent sureties:
Hon. Betty Aol Ocan: The state argued that at 68 years old, she was too elderly to withstand prison should Lukwago flee. The Magistrate rejected this, ruling that maturity and social standing enhance a surety’s credibility rather than diminish it.
Hon. Michael Phillip Lulume Bayiga: The state claimed that because Bayiga serves as the Deputy President of the People’s Front for Freedom, he is a political subordinate incapable of commanding his “boss,” Lukwago. Magistrate Basemera firmly stated that legal undertakings before a court are not dictated by political hierarchies, warning that accepting the state’s logic would wrongly bar any employee or junior colleague from acting as a surety.
State Objections Overruled: The court dismissed the prosecution’s technical objections regarding Lukwago’s sureties—reaffirming that high-profile figures like Hon. Betty Aol Ocan and Hon. Dr. Lulume Bayiga were perfectly suitable and substantial.
Emergency Medical Mandate: While denying him liberty, the court took Lukwago’s documented chronic health conditions seriously. The Magistrate ordered prison authorities to transfer Lukwago to Mulago National Referral Hospital within 24 hours for a comprehensive medical assessment and specialist treatment.
Access Granted: The court ordered that Lukwago’s wife and one choice advocate must be granted reasonable access during his medical referral and receive copies of his specialist medical reports.
Lukwago has been remanded back to Murchison Bay Prison while the state concludes its investigations.
