By Our Reporter
 

The Kanyanya Magistrate’s Court has remanded National Unity Platform (NUP) activist Olivia Lutaaya on charges stemming from alleged unlawful drilling activities at the party’s offices in Makerere Kavule earlier this year.

Ms. Lutaaya, who was arrested days earlier in Mbarara City, appeared before the court, which subsequently ordered her detention until November 18th, when the case will next be mentioned.

The court, presided over by the Kanyanya Magistrate, officially added Lutaaya to an existing case file related to the alleged unlawful activities that took place in February. She now joins several high-profile NUP members currently on remand, including party deputy spokesperson Waiswa Mufumbiro, Edward Ssebuufu (alias Eddie Mutwe), and Tasi Calvin (Bobi Giant).
 

She was apprehended on Friday in Mbarara City during a major security operation targeting NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine.

Security forces ambushed and intercepted Bobi Wine’s convoy as it was en route to Bwizibwera, where he was scheduled to address a campaign rally. Lutaaya was among over 100 NUP supporters who were arrested during the mass interception.

NUP officials confirmed that while Lutaaya was formally charged and remanded, many of the other activists arrested alongside her were reportedly released or “dumped” at various police stations across the region.

The arrest and immediate remand of Ms. Lutaaya drew sharp condemnation from the NUP leadership, who accused security agencies and the judicial system of displaying selective justice.

NUP Spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi took to his X account to criticize the development, contrasting Lutaaya’s detention with the apparent freedom of other political actors.

“She has told us that the other comrades arrested with her were dumped at various police stations. Meanwhile, the goons who attacked our supporters [in western Uganda] recently continue to be free and are at large!!” Ssenyonyi posted, referencing recent clashes where NUP supporters alleged attacks by individuals aligned with the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

This is not the first time Ms. Lutaaya has faced incarceration related to her political activism.

Ms. Lutaaya was released just last year by the General Court Martial following a presidential pardon, after having spent three years on remand on separate charges of treachery.

Following the court session, Lutaaya was remanded to prison until her next court appearance scheduled for November 18th.