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The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) has defended supporters who have pleaded guilty to criminal charges while on remand, arguing that such decisions should be viewed as a consequence of prolonged detention and repeated denial of bail rather than an admission of guilt.
In a statement issued after several party supporters entered guilty pleas or plea bargain arrangements, NUP said it does not encourage members to incriminate themselves but recognises the difficult circumstances that have driven some to take that course.
The party linked the development to what it described as an increasingly restrictive approach to granting bail, citing President Yoweri Museveni’s recent remarks urging judicial officers not to release what he termed “opposition lawbreakers.”
In a televised national address last Saturday, Museveni argued that courts should exercise caution when granting bail to opposition suspects, saying they could interfere with witnesses.
The president has repeatedly criticised the granting of bail to suspects facing capital offences, arguing that public safety and the integrity of investigations should take precedence.
Among the most prominent opposition figures affected is four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye, who has spent close to two years on remand after courts repeatedly declined to release him on bail.
NUP argued that for some detainees, pleading guilty has become the quickest legal avenue to regain their freedom after years in detention. According to the party, many of those on remand have spent lengthy periods in custody without trial and with little prospect of securing bail.
The party maintained that choosing to plead guilty does not necessarily amount to an admission of committing the alleged offences but instead reflects the pressure and hardship associated with prolonged detention.
While reiterating that it does not encourage self-incrimination, NUP said it would not condemn supporters who choose to enter plea bargains or plead guilty through legally recognised procedures to secure their release from prison.
The party added that what matters most is how those supporters conduct themselves after regaining their freedom. At the same time, NUP praised supporters who have refused to admit guilt despite remaining behind bars, describing them as the true heroes whose commitment deserves recognition and continued support.
The statement comes amid growing debate over the treatment of opposition figures within Uganda’s criminal justice system, where courts have increasingly declined to grant bail to suspects facing serious charges.
NUP says more than 150 of its supporters remain in detention on what it describes as politically motivated and fabricated charges. According to the party, some were arrested during the run-up to the 2021 general elections, while others were detained following the January 2026 polls.
The issue has remained contentious since the 2021 elections, when hundreds of opposition supporters were arrested during and after the campaigns. In several cases, detainees accepted plea bargains or pleaded guilty, received lighter sentences and were later released through presidential pardons.
Others rejected the option, maintaining their innocence, and continue to be held on remand, mainly at Luzira and Kitalya prisons, as their cases move slowly through the courts.
The latest statement comes a day after the High court granted bail to former Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, who had been on remand at Kitalya Prison since January.
Kivumbi was arrested following violent clashes in Butambala district during a security operation in which more than 10 people were shot dead at his residence. Prosecutors accuse him of terrorism-related offences linked to the incident. He was released on bail on Thursday, although the substantive criminal case against him remains before the court.
Related
, https://observer.ug/news/nup-defends-supporters-pleading-guilty-to-crimes-they-deny-committing/
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