Olivia Lutaaya, a well-known supporter of the National Unity Platform (NUP), has once again been sent to prison after being accused of participating in unauthorized military-style drills at the party’s headquarters in Kampala.
The latest arrest comes years after she previously spent almost four years in military custody on treason-related charges before being pardoned by the President. Lutaaya, who had become a familiar face in stories of political persecution, appeared before the Kanyanya Magistrate’s Court in Kawempe Division, where she was formally charged and remanded.
Authorities claim that Lutaaya and several other NUP members engaged in unlawful military-style parades at the party’s Makerere–Kavule offices on February 12, 2025. The event reportedly took place during celebrations marking NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi’s (Bobi Wine’s) 43rd birthday. According to security officials, some participants conducted drills without official authorization from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is an offence under Section 45 of the Penal Code Act.
Her arrest follows a sweeping security operation on November 7, 2025, in Mbarara District, where security agencies intercepted Bobi Wine’s convoy on his way to a campaign rally in Bwizibwera, Ankole sub-region. The operation resulted in the detention of more than 100 NUP supporters. Lutaaya was later transferred to Kampala and added to an ongoing case involving over ten other party members facing similar accusations.
Among the accused are notable figures in the opposition, including NUP deputy spokesperson and Nakawa East parliamentary hopeful Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, Kampala Central Woman Lord Councillor aspirant Saudah Madaada, NUP party school coordinator Dorren Kaija, and Bobi Wine’s aides Edward Ssebufu (Eddie Mutwe) and Achileo Kivumbi. All of them pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The presiding magistrate ordered Lutaaya to remain in prison until November 18, 2025, when she will reappear in court alongside her co-accused.
In response, the NUP leadership condemned the continued arrests and detentions, calling them a clear sign of political intimidation as Uganda approaches the 2026 general elections. The party urged the government to stop what it termed as targeted persecution and to respect citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and political expression.
Party officials further demanded the immediate release of all political detainees, insisting that opposition politics should never be treated as a crime in a democratic nation.