KAMPALA – The former Kampala Lord Mayor and senior counsel Erias Lukwago has been formally charged with misprision of treason and remanded to Luzira Prison’s Murchison Bay Wing until Monday, June 22, 2026.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Lukwago, who is the acting president of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party, was arraigned before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday afternoon under tight security, following his abrupt arrest on Monday this week.
His arrest at his Wakaliga home by UPDF officers sparked outrage among lawyers, opposition leaders, and activists, who had demanded disclosure of his whereabouts during nearly two days in alleged military detention.
Prosecution told court that between 2021 and 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, Lukwago, together with others including Joel Wakayima, Frank Atukunda and Dr. Kizza Besigye, allegedly became aware of treason-related plans but failed to report them to the relevant authorities.
Misprision of treason is the criminal offence of knowing that someone has committed, or is planning to commit, treason against a government, and deliberately failing to report it to the proper authorities.
Lukwago, however, denied the charges, with his lawyers maintaining that the individuals cited by the prosecution were his clients and that he was acting solely in his professional capacity as an advocate.
During the court session, Lukwago’s lawyer, Medard Lubega Sseggona, requested that his client be allowed access to an orthopaedic mattress, citing a medical condition that requires special sleeping arrangements.
According to Sseggona, Lukwago has metal implants in his back following surgery in India for a herniated cervical disc and cannot sleep on an ordinary mattress.
The lawyer further told court that Lukwago follows a special diet and may struggle to cope with the standard food provided in prison, and requested that his client be allowed access to a medical monitoring device used to track his heart condition.
The defence also cited chronic gastritis that requires continuous medical supervision, respiratory complications, and hypertension that had worsened following his detention.
The court ordered that Lukwago be held at the facility, where he is expected to receive medical attention before returning for further proceedings next week.
The court is expected to rule on his bail application during the mention of the case on Monday, with three prominent legislators presented as sureties: Betty Aol Ocan, Lulume Bayiga and Betty Nambooze Bakireke.
Lukwago’s Monday arrest sparked a political and legal firestorm, with witnesses reporting that security operatives entered his bedroom at his Wakaliga home before taking him away in an operation that drew public outrage.
Family members alleged that soldiers jumped the fence, held occupants at gunpoint, and confiscated phones, while Lukwago was ruthlessly taken away.
Prior to his arraignment, Lukwago was held at Kira Division Police Headquarters, where he recorded a statement in the presence of his lawyer.
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