The Senior Principal Magistrate and Officer-in-Charge of City Hall Court, Nicholas Aisu, has petitioned the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary over allegations that Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Faridah Nakabuugo interfered with court proceedings and forcefully freed 93 female suspects before they could take plea.
The allegations appear in a letter dated June 25, 2026. In the letter, Mr Aisu describes the incident as “disturbing” and says it disrupted judicial business at City Hall Court.
According to the magistrate, the incident followed a joint operation by the Uganda Police Force and the Kampala Capital City Authority enforcement team. The operation led to a large number of arrests.
Mr Aisu said the court received an unusually high number of suspects that day. Court administrators then separated female suspects from male suspects to reduce congestion and allow orderly processing.
“The number was quite overwhelming given our facilities here; however, they were manageable going by the numbers we always attend to in this court on a daily basis,” Mr Aisu wrote.
Court Says Female Suspects Were Awaiting Plea
According to the letter, about 93 adult female suspects had been isolated and kept in a meeting room within the KCCA premises. Mr Aisu said this was done with permission from management.
The male suspects were being processed in open court at the time.
The magistrate said arrangements had already been made for the female suspects to appear before court and enter their pleas. However, he alleged that Ms Nakabuugo intervened before the process could proceed.
“We were stunned when the Hon. Nakabuugo Faridah, Deputy Lord Mayor, obstructed their appearance before court and, working with some hooligans she had mobilized, forcefully freed all the female suspects who were set to appear before court this afternoon,” the letter reads in part.
Magistrate Says Proceedings Were Disrupted
Mr Aisu said the incident affected the court’s work and left several criminal matters pending.
“Court was thus unable to take plea in all cases,” he noted.
He described the incident as an unprecedented breach and raised concern over possible interference with the administration of justice.
“The incident has stunned all stakeholders. I bring this to your attention and seek your guidance over the same and to curtail future reoccurrences,” the petition added.
The letter was copied to the Registrar for Magistrates Affairs and Data Management, the Chief Magistrate of Buganda Road Court, Senior Magistrate Edgar Karakire, and attached to the official court file.
If substantiated, the allegations could raise legal questions about obstruction of court processes and the handling of suspects awaiting appearance before judicial officers.
When contacted by this publication for comment, Ms Nakabuugo questioned how the reporter had obtained the magistrate’s letter. She promised to provide a formal response, but had not done so by the time of publication.