Olivia Lutaaya freed again, vows loyalty to Bobi Wine

National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter Olivia Lutaaya has been released from prison for the second time in two years, vowing to remain loyal to opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, despite spending years in detention over charges linked to her political activities.

Lutaaya, who was released on October 30, 2026, after facing charges of unlawful military drilling, returned to the party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, Kampala, where she reaffirmed her commitment to NUP.

Speaking to journalists, Lutaaya said her release came without conditions and dismissed suggestions that she would abandon Kyagulanyi or the party.

“I will not denounce my leader with whom we were on that day. I belong to the NUP and all the charges brought against me were about NUP,” she said, according to a report by Pulse Uganda.

Her release ends another period of detention for the mother of two, whose political journey has been marked by arrests, a controversial conviction before the General Court Martial and a presidential pardon in November 2024.

Lutaaya also called for the release of her co-accused who have denied the charges, arguing that those who were not involved in the activities cited by the prosecution should not remain in prison.

Her case has once again drawn attention to the experiences of opposition supporters who have faced criminal charges in connection with political activities.

The charges that took her back to prison

Lutaaya was arrested on November 7, 2025, in Bwizibwera, Mbarara District, during a campaign activity involving Kyagulanyi, who was campaigning ahead of the 2026 general elections.

She was subsequently charged before the Kanyanya Magistrate’s Court in Kawempe Division, Kampala, and remanded to Luzira Prison.

The charges arose from a parade held at NUP’s Makerere-Kavule headquarters on February 12, 2025, to celebrate Kyagulanyi’s birthday.

Prosecution alleged that Lutaaya and other party members participated in military-style drills without authorisation from the Minister of Internal Affairs. She also faced allegations relating to military-like formations and attire resembling security uniforms.

Daily Star Uganda reported on November 11, 2025, that Lutaaya had been added to a case involving other NUP officials and supporters, including party deputy spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro and Kyagulanyi’s head of security, Edward Ssebuufu, popularly known as Eddie Mutwe.

The accused faced charges relating to unlawful drilling and other alleged offences connected to the parade.

During her court appearance in November 2025, Lutaaya initially denied the charges. Her lawyers also raised concerns about her treatment during arrest and sought permission for her personal doctors to examine her, alleging that she had sustained injuries.

The court directed that prison medical personnel examine her first.

By the time of her release in October 2026, Lutaaya had admitted the unlawful drilling charges, according to Pulse Uganda. She maintained that her release did not require her to abandon her political allegiance.

Her release came as other NUP supporters facing related charges remained in detention.

First arrest during Bobi Wine’s campaign

Lutaaya’s encounters with the authorities date back to the 2020 presidential election campaigns.

She was among opposition supporters arrested in Kalangala District on December 30, 2020, while participating in Kyagulanyi’s campaign activities.

The group was subsequently linked by security agencies to allegations of treachery and unlawful possession of ammunition and explosives. Prosecutors alleged that the suspects possessed explosive devices intended for use against government installations and vehicles.

Lutaaya and her co-accused were prosecuted before the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala.

She spent years in detention as the case proceeded, with the prolonged remand attracting criticism from opposition politicians and raising questions about the treatment of civilians before military courts.

In October 2024, Lutaaya and other accused persons pleaded guilty to charges that included treachery and unlawful possession of explosives.

The court sentenced them to five years in prison, taking into account the period they had already spent on remand.

The guilty pleas became controversial after Lutaaya subsequently said she had accepted the charges because she believed it was the only way to regain her freedom.

She maintained that she had not committed the offences, while NUP leaders questioned the circumstances under which the accused changed their pleas after years in detention.

Youth Affairs Minister Balaam Barugahara, who had intervened in efforts to secure their release, denied claims that he had pressured the detainees to plead guilty.

Museveni’s pardon and her first return to freedom

On November 22, 2024, President Yoweri Museveni pardoned Lutaaya and 18 other NUP supporters, allowing them to leave prison.

The pardon was granted under Article 121(1)(a) of the Constitution, which provides for the presidential prerogative of mercy.

The prisoners had already spent several years in custody, and their release was welcomed by NUP leaders and supporters who had campaigned for their freedom.

Upon leaving prison, Lutaaya returned to the party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, where she was received by party secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya and other supporters.

She spoke emotionally about her time in detention and the personal cost of spending years away from her family.

Her release also became a symbol of the political tensions surrounding the prosecution of NUP supporters and the role of the General Court Martial in cases involving civilians.

However, the pardon did not prevent her from facing fresh charges over alleged offences arising from activities in February 2025.

From a small business to political activism

Before becoming involved in opposition politics, Lutaaya operated a small cosmetics shop in Namuwongo, a Kampala suburb.

In an interview with Daily Monitor published in December 2024, she explained that her political awakening followed difficulties she experienced while seeking treatment for her sick son in 2019.

She said the struggle to raise money for his treatment exposed her to the challenges ordinary Ugandans face when accessing healthcare.

The experience prompted her to take a greater interest in politics, eventually joining the People Power movement, which later became NUP.

Lutaaya participated in Kyagulanyi’s campaigns and mobilised support for opposition candidates, including the late Muhammad Ssegirinya and Derrick Nyeko.

She said her involvement was driven by a desire for political change rather than an ambition to become a Member of Parliament or hold another elective position.

Her activism subsequently brought her into conflict with security agencies, leading to the arrests that have defined much of her political journey.

A political commitment that survived prison

Lutaaya’s latest release has renewed attention on her determination to remain active in NUP despite the consequences she has faced.

Her return to the party headquarters and declaration of continued loyalty to Kyagulanyi suggest that her imprisonment has not changed her political allegiance.

She has also called on the authorities to release her co-accused, some of whom continue to contest the charges against them.

Her case comes amid broader debate about the treatment of opposition supporters, the use of criminal proceedings against political activists and the rights of accused persons to a fair hearing.

For Lutaaya, the two periods of imprisonment have meant prolonged separation from her family and uncertainty about her future.

Yet her latest public statements indicate that she intends to continue supporting the party whose activities first brought her into the political spotlight.

Her story illustrates the personal costs of political activism in Uganda, while raising continuing questions about the relationship between opposition politics, national security and the administration of justice.

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