Three opposition NUP MPs, several top officials remanded to Luzira prison

MP Francis Zaake being arrested and towed in his car at NUP Hqrs

Kampala July 22–Three opposition NUP members of Parliament, Francis Zzaake (Mityana Municipality), Hassan Kirumira and Charles Tebandeke together with several other top leaders of the National Unity Platform have been remanded to Luzira Prison on various charges.

Other top NUP leaders remanded include among others James Mubiru, Ibra Ssemanda, Shamim Nabakooza, Ben Mukasa Ntale, Sharon Kemigisha and Brian Mungu.

The officials were arrested this morning at the party headquarters at Makerere Kavule where they had gone to attend a News conference and were later in the evening presented before the Law Development Centre, LDC Magistrates Court and remanded to Luzira Prison.

Police said NUP was trying to mobilise Ugandans to take part in an Anti-corruption march to Parliament on July 23rd 2024, a claim the party has denied.

NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya told the media that the MPs and other NUP comrades were taken to court at about 7.00P.M. and efforts to get bail were futile as the state claimed they needed more time to respond. He said MP Francis Zzaake was charged with a traffic offence while others were charged with unlawful assembly.

Rubongoya said the jailed activists are all strong and condemned what he called ‘continuing use of the criminal justice system to persecute political opponents’.

Police spokes person, ACP Kituuma Rusoke, told Journalists that Police made attempts to dissuade organisers of the Anti-corruption march to Parliament from going ahead with the march.