The General Court Martial has delivered a blow to Olivia Lutaaya and 27 other political detainees associated with the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party by rejecting their bail pleas.

Ms Lutaaya, aged 32, was violently apprehended from her residence in Namuwongo, a Kampala suburb, in 2021. She was detained incommunicado for weeks before being brought before the military court.

Despite being civilians, Ms Lutaaya and over 30 others are facing charges in the military court, a move that contradicts a decree from the Constitutional Court.

In a recent court session, Ms Lutaaya witnessed as four of her fellow detainees, all male, were granted temporary freedom by the army court. However, her quest for freedom has faced repeated setbacks.

Ms Lutaaya’s case has drawn widespread global attention, with many condemning the circumstances of her detention. Yet, despite the outcry, securing her freedom has proven elusive, much to the dismay of her supporters.

On Monday, Brig Gen Robert Mugabe, chairman of the Court Martial at Makindye Military Barracks, reaffirmed this trend by once again denying Ms Lutaaya her constitutional right to bail.

The applicants, including Ms Lutaaya, had filed a motion seeking bail under various legal provisions, citing Article 23(6) and 139(1) of the Constitution of Uganda 1995, as well as relevant laws. They argued for their constitutional right to seek bail, highlighting the bailable nature of the offence, the prolonged custody without a clear trial timeline, and the availability of reliable sureties.

However, the court-martial dismissed the application, citing several reasons.

While acknowledging that the offences were indeed bailable, the army court said the applicants had already spent a significant amount of time in custody and failed to establish fixed places of residence within the court’s jurisdiction.

The army court also expressed concerns about the risk of the applicants absconding if granted bail.

The accused individuals are alleged to have been found in illegal possession of 13 pieces of explosive devices between November 2020 and May 2021 in areas of Jinja, Mbale, Kireka, Nakulabye, Kawempe, Natete, and Kampala Central.

This group is part of the 32 NUP supporters who made a second bail application in 2023.

However, only four out of the 32 were granted bail.

Ronald Mayiga, Richard Nyombi, Kenneth Kamya, and Shafique Ngobi were the four individuals granted bail because they had substantial sureties, fixed places of residence, and were unlikely to interfere with state witnesses or ongoing investigations, according to Brig Mugabe.

The prosecution, relying on the affidavit of Lt Elly Musinguzi, an investigator from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, opposed their release, arguing that the sureties provided were not substantial

Brig Mugabe agreed with the prosecution in his ruling, stating that most of the sureties were not sufficient, and only the four applicants met the requirements for release.

Those denied bail alongside Ms Lutaaya on Monday include Yasin Ssekitoleko alias Machete, Robert Christopher Rugumayo, Patrick Mwase, Simon Kikaabe and Muhydin Kakooza.

Others are Abdu Matovu, Ronald Kijambo, Sharif Kalanzi, Joseph Muwonge, Mesach Kiwanuka, Abdalla Kintu, Umar Emma Kato, and Musa Kavuma.