He added that Doreen Kaija had rejected the plea bargain option and instead opted to continue challenging the charges in court, maintaining her innocence.
Two female supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Olivia Lutaaya and Sauda Madaada, pleaded guilty to criminal charges in a bid to regain their freedom after spending years in detention, the party’s Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, has said.
Rubongoya made the remarks after visiting the two women, alongside fellow NUP supporter Doreen Kaija, at Luzira Women’s Prison on Thursday morning.
According to Rubongoya, Lutaaya and Madaada accepted plea bargain arrangements after facing prolonged uncertainty over their cases. He claimed the two pleaded guilty to offences they did not commit in order to secure their release from prison.
“They were pushed to pleading guilty to crimes they did not commit in order to regain freedom. They were subsequently sentenced and should be coming out in a few months,” Rubongoya said.
He added that Doreen Kaija had rejected the plea bargain option and instead opted to continue challenging the charges in court, maintaining her innocence. Rubongoya said the party’s legal team remains committed to pursuing all available legal remedies to secure her release.
During the visit, Lutaaya reportedly reflected on the National Unity Platform’s sixth anniversary, saying she has spent only one of the party’s six years in freedom and the remaining five years in detention.
According to Rubongoya, Lutaaya said watching television coverage of the party’s sixth anniversary commemorations on Wednesday was emotionally painful as it reminded her of what she described as the injustice suffered by her and many other detained supporters.
The NUP Secretary General said the three women expressed gratitude to party members and supporters who continue to visit them, support their families and advocate for their release.
The cases involving the three women remain among several involving opposition supporters. While NUP maintains that many of its members have been unjustly detained and politically persecuted, government authorities have consistently maintained that all suspects are processed through the courts in accordance with the law.
