The latest bail decision means Mugumya and Wakabi are expected to benefit from their release in the Masaka case, while Mutwe and Kivumbi will continue to face the separate proceedings in Kanyanya.
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Four National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters facing aggravated robbery charges have been granted cash bail of sh5 million each by the High Court in Masaka, according to NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya.
The beneficiaries are NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s security personnel Edward Ssebuufu, alias Eddie Mutwe, Achileo Kivumbi, Gaddafi Mugumya and Grace Wakabi, alias Smart.
However, Mutwe and Kivumbi will not be released immediately because they have another pending criminal case before the Magistrates Court at Kanyanya in Kampala, Rubongoya said.
“Unfortunately for Eddie Mutwe and Achileo Kivumbi, they cannot come out yet as they still have a pending case at the Magistrates Court at Kanyanya,” Rubongoya said in a statement.
He thanked the lawyers handling the case as well as the NUP leaders and family members who stood surety for the accused.
The latest development follows a prolonged legal battle over charges arising from an incident at Manja Village in Kisekka Sub-county, Lwengo District, where the four were accused of assaulting journalists and robbing them and other mourners during a burial ceremony in May 2024.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly robbed journalist Margaret Kayondo of a mobile phone and other property, while other complainants were allegedly robbed of mobile phones and cash. They were also accused of assaulting journalists during the incident. The accused denied the allegations.
The aggravated robbery charge is among several counts brought against the group, including simple robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The case attracted considerable political attention after Mutwe, who heads Kyagulanyi’s security team, was arrested in April 2025. He was subsequently produced before court and remanded to Masaka Central Prison on charges that included aggravated robbery.
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In August 2025, the Masaka High Court initially rejected bail applications by Kivumbi, Mugumya, Wakabi and Ssebuufu. Justice Fatuma Nanziri Bwanika ruled that the applicants had not demonstrated the exceptional circumstances required for bail in a case involving a serious offence and also considered concerns about possible interference with witnesses.
The latest bail decision therefore marks a change from that earlier position.
Kanyanya case keeps two behind bars
For Mutwe and Kivumbi, however, their release has been complicated by a separate case before the Kanyanya court.
The duo are among NUP supporters facing charges connected to allegations of unlawful military-style drills and related offences. The case has also involved repeated amendments to the charge sheet.
In February 2026, the Kawempe Chief Magistrates Court sitting at Kanyanya stopped the prosecution from making further additions to the charge sheet, saying repeated amendments had delayed the commencement of the trial. The court directed the prosecution to proceed with its evidence.
Mutwe and Kivumbi had earlier sought mandatory bail in the Kanyanya case after spending more than two months on remand. However, the application was dismissed after the court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.
The Masaka case has been closely followed by NUP supporters, who have consistently described the prosecution of the four men as politically motivated. The prosecution, however, maintains the criminal allegations against them.
The latest bail decision means Mugumya and Wakabi are expected to benefit from their release in the Masaka case, while Mutwe and Kivumbi will continue to face the separate proceedings in Kanyanya.
Rubongoya, in announcing the development, ended his message with the NUP slogan: “We shall overcome.”
