Makindye Chief Magistrates Court has rejected a bail application by Erias Lukwago, the president of the opposition People’s Front for Freedom, despite defense arguments highlighting chronic medical conditions that require specialized care.
Chief Magistrate Sarah Anne Basemera ruled that the gravity of the national security offense outweigh the defense arguments for his release.
Defense Counsel Medard Sseggona had petitioned for bail on multiple grounds, including the presumption of innocence, Lukwago’s fixed residence in Wakaliga, and his health status. To secure his release, the defense team presented three members of parliament as sureties: Betty Aol Ocan, Michael Phillip Lulume Bayiga, and Betty Bakireke Nambooze.
State attorneys Judith Nyamwiza, Caroline Opia, and Gabriel Obua strongly opposed the application. The prosecution argued that the offense carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, creating a significant flight risk. They also contended that Lukwago’s immense political and professional stature could allow him to interfere with witnesses while investigations remain ongoing.
According to the state, the charges stem from actions between 2021 and November 2024. The prosecution alleges that Lukwago became aware of plots by high-profile opposition figures to commit treason in Kampala and Nairobi, Kenya, but deliberately failed to inform authorities or prevent the crime. The named opposition leaders include Col. Kizza Besigye, Joel Wakayima, Frank Kihere Atukunda, and Hajji Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya.
In her ruling, Basemera dismissed the state’s objections regarding the sureties, declaring the lawmakers substantial, and validated Lukwago’s physical address.
Basemera ruled that Lukwago’s extensive political network and legal standing create a realistic risk to the integrity of the continuing cross-border investigation, necessitating his continued detention.
Erias Lukwago is married to Zawedde Lubwama Lukwago and they have six children including twins. He has in the past been a member of the Democratic Party (DP) in Uganda, although in the 2011 elections he ran as an independent. On 28 July 2020, he officially joined the Forum for Democratic Change, (FDC) political party
Lukwago has been representing Besigye, who has been jailed on treason charges since being abducted in neighbouring Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda in late 2024.
Besigye is a long-standing political opponent of President Yoweri Museveni. He once served as Museveni’s personal doctor before breaking ranks with him in 1999.
