The High Court in Masaka has granted cash bail of Shs5 million each to four National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters facing aggravated robbery charges, bringing the total bail amount to Shs20 million.
The beneficiaries are Achileo Kivumbi, Edward Ssebuufu alias Eddie Mutwe, Gaddafi Mugumya and Grace Smart Wakabi, who have been in custody over allegations arising from an incident in Lwengo District.
The development was announced by NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya following the bail ruling.
According to Rubongoya, Mugumya and Wakabi will be eligible for release once the cash bail conditions are fulfilled. However, Kivumbi and Mutwe will remain in custody because they have another pending case before the courts in Kampala.
The two are facing a separate charge relating to alleged unlawful drilling, according to their lawyers. A report on Wednesday’s proceedings similarly indicated that they could not be released from custody despite the Masaka bail ruling because of the pending matter.
A long-running court battle
The four have been facing criminal proceedings stemming from allegations connected to an incident in Manja Village, Kisekka Sub-county, Lwengo District, where journalists had gathered to cover a burial in May 2024.
Prosecution alleges that the accused robbed a journalist of a mobile phone and a green sweater and used weapons during the incident. They also face allegations relating to the theft of money and mobile phones and assault. The accused have denied the allegations.
The case has attracted considerable attention because the accused are associated with NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
In August 2025, the Masaka High Court issued production orders requiring the four to be brought before court for proceedings concerning their bail applications after they had spent months on remand.
Bail does not mean the case is over
The Shs20 million cash bail does not terminate the criminal proceedings against the four.
Instead, it allows the accused to secure temporary release subject to the court’s conditions while the substantive criminal case proceeds.
For Kivumbi and Mutwe, the immediate legal hurdle is the separate case before the courts in Kampala. Their lawyers have indicated that they remain in prison pending proceedings concerning bail in that matter.
The development has nevertheless been welcomed by NUP, which credited its legal team, party leaders and family members who stood surety for the accused.
“We shall overcome,” Rubongoya said in his message following the ruling.
The party has continued to describe the criminal proceedings against its supporters as politically motivated, while the charges remain allegations to be determined through the judicial process.
Earlier court proceedings show that prosecutors have opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and concerns including possible interference with witnesses and absconding.
What happens next
The immediate focus now shifts to the fulfilment of the Shs5 million cash-bail conditions for Mugumya and Wakabi and the separate proceedings affecting Kivumbi and Mutwe.
For the four accused, the Masaka ruling provides a significant development in a case that has kept them in custody for an extended period, but their legal battles are not yet over.
