National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s chief bodyguard, Edward Ssebuufu alias Eddie Mutwe, has been granted bail by the High Court in Masaka, but his freedom remains out of reach because he is facing another criminal case that has kept him on remand at Luzira Prison.
Mutwe, together with fellow NUP bodyguards Mugumya Gaddafi, Grace Wakabi and Achilleo Kivumbi, was granted bail by Masaka High Court Senior Resident Judge Victoria Nakintu Katamba.
The court set cash bail at Sh5 million each, while their sureties were bonded at Sh50 million non-cash each.
The judge also ordered the four accused persons to surrender their passports and report to the Deputy High Court Registrar on the first Monday of every month. But the bail order does not mean Mutwe can simply walk out of Luzira Prison.
The reason is that the four are not facing only the Masaka case.
Mutwe and Kivumbi, in particular, have another case pending before a Kampala court in which they are accused, alongside other NUP supporters, of participating in unauthorised military-style drills at the party’s headquarters in Makerere-Kavule. That separate case has become the legal barrier between Mutwe and immediate freedom.
The development has therefore created a situation in which an accused person has secured bail in one case but remains incarcerated because of another pending matter.
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya said the party was concerned that the granting of bail in Masaka had not resulted in Mutwe’s release.
Rubongoya said the party’s position remained that the continued detention of its officials and supporters was unjustified, particularly where courts had already considered the applicants’ circumstances and granted them bail.
He said the party would continue to pursue the legal avenues available to secure Mutwe’s freedom.
The Masaka case arises from an incident at a burial in Lwengo District in May 2024.
Prosecution alleges that Mutwe, Kivumbi, Mugumya and Wakabi committed aggravated robbery, malicious damage to property and assault during the incident.
They have denied the allegations. The prosecution’s case has previously alleged that mourners and journalists were attacked and that property, including mobile phones, was taken.
Earlier court proceedings showed that the State opposed bail, citing concerns including possible interference with witnesses.
In August 2025, the Masaka High Court rejected an earlier bail application by the four bodyguards, with the court expressing concern that the accused could interfere with prosecution witnesses.
The latest decision by Justice Katamba therefore marks a significant change in their position in the Masaka proceedings. However, it does not extinguish the other criminal proceedings against Mutwe and Kivumbi.
The second case
The second case dates to February 2025, when NUP held activities at its headquarters in Makerere-Kavule.
Prosecution alleges that some party supporters engaged in military-style drills without authorisation from the Minister of Internal Affairs.
The accused were charged with offences including unlawful drilling and conspiracy to commit a felony. Mutwe and Kivumbi were among those arrested and remanded in connection with the case.
In October 2025, the Kawempe Grade One Magistrate’s Court rejected bail applications by 10 NUP supporters, including Mutwe and Kivumbi.
The prosecution argued that the two had additional aggravated robbery charges pending before the High Court in Masaka, while also raising concerns about possible interference with witnesses and the adequacy of some sureties.
The magistrate subsequently ruled that the applicants had not satisfied the requirements for release on bail.
The accused later sought mandatory bail after spending more than 60 days on remand.
In October 2025, Mutwe and Kivumbi had reportedly spent 68 days in custody without trial and asked the court to grant them mandatory bail under the Constitution.
However, the Grade II Magistrate who handled the application ruled that his court lacked jurisdiction to determine the matter.
That legal history explains why the latest Masaka decision should not be interpreted as an unconditional release order.
One man, two cases
The situation illustrates the difficulty created when an accused person faces separate criminal proceedings in different courts.
A person may satisfy the requirements for bail in one case, including presenting substantial sureties and undertaking to comply with reporting conditions, but still remain in custody if another court has a valid remand order in a different case.
In Mutwe’s case, the Masaka High Court has now imposed strict conditions. He must raise Sh5 million cash bail, secure a Sh50 million non-cash bond from each surety, surrender his passport and report to the Deputy High Court Registrar every first Monday of the month.
But those conditions only address the Masaka proceedings. They do not automatically cancel the separate remand order in the Kampala case.
This is why supporters who expected Mutwe to leave Luzira immediately after the Masaka ruling may have been surprised that he remained behind bars.
The situation has also placed the focus on the State’s handling of the two cases and whether prosecution is ready to proceed with the trials.
For NUP, the continued detention has become a political and legal issue. Rubongoya has repeatedly argued that opposition supporters should not be held indefinitely while investigations and court processes drag on.
The party maintains that its members should be presumed innocent until proven guilty and that courts should determine their cases without unnecessary delays.
From disappearance to court
Mutwe’s continued incarceration also comes after a highly controversial episode in April and May 2025 when he disappeared after being picked up by armed men.
His disappearance triggered widespread concern and calls for his whereabouts to be disclosed.
Then-UPDF commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba later claimed on social media that Mutwe was being held by him, prompting national and international attention.
Reuters reported at the time that Kainerugaba said Mutwe was in his basement and made threats against him.
Mutwe subsequently appeared before court and was charged in connection with the Masaka allegations.
His lawyers later raised concerns about his physical condition and alleged torture while he was in detention. Amnesty International has also documented the controversy surrounding his detention and allegations of torture.
The latest bail ruling therefore represents an important legal development for Mutwe, but not yet the end of his incarceration.
What happens next?
The immediate question is whether the court handling the Kampala case will release Mutwe, or whether he will continue to be held on the strength of that separate case.
For his lawyers, the Masaka bail ruling provides another argument for his release if they can satisfy the requirements of the court handling the second case.
For the State, however, each criminal case is legally distinct. The prosecution can therefore continue with the Kampala proceedings even after the Masaka High Court has granted bail.
The four bodyguards have now secured a major legal victory in the Masaka case, but for Mutwe, the victory is incomplete.
He has won the right to temporary liberty in one case, but another case still stands between him and the prison gates.
Until that second matter is resolved, or another court grants him bail or otherwise orders his release, Mutwe can remain at Luzira despite having been granted bail in Masaka.
The development is likely to renew debate over the continued detention of opposition activists and whether Uganda’s criminal justice system is allowing multiple cases to effectively prolong detention even when courts have found grounds for release in one of them.
For NUP, the message is clear: granting bail in Masaka should not be mistaken for the end of Mutwe’s legal battle.
The party now faces the task of pursuing the second case while pressing for his eventual release. For Mutwe himself, the court has opened one door. Another one, however, remains locked.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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