The National Unity Platform has defended supporters who plead guilty or accept plea bargains after spending long periods on remand, saying their decisions should not automatically be treated as admissions of wrongdoing.
In a statement issued after several party supporters entered guilty pleas or plea bargain agreements, NUP said it does not encourage members to incriminate themselves.
However, the opposition party said prolonged detention and repeated denial of bail had placed some suspects under intense pressure to seek the quickest available route out of prison.
NUP argued that some detainees plead guilty because they have spent years in custody without trial and see little chance of securing bail.
The party said it would not condemn supporters who use legally recognised plea-bargaining procedures to regain their freedom.
NUP links guilty pleas to bail restrictions
NUP connected the recent guilty pleas to what it described as a growing reluctance by courts to grant bail to opposition suspects.
The party cited recent remarks by President Yoweri Museveni urging judicial officers not to release people he described as “opposition lawbreakers.”
During a televised national address last Saturday, Museveni said courts should exercise caution when considering bail applications from opposition suspects. He argued that released suspects could interfere with witnesses.
The president has repeatedly criticised the granting of bail to suspects facing capital offences. He has maintained that public safety and the protection of investigations should take priority.
NUP, however, said prolonged detention without trial could push suspects to accept criminal responsibility simply to leave prison.
The party maintained that a guilty plea entered under such circumstances may reflect the hardship of detention rather than a genuine admission that the accused committed the alleged offence.
Besigye cited among opposition figures denied bail
NUP referred to the continued detention of opposition figures whose bail applications have repeatedly failed.
Among the most prominent is four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye, who has spent close to two years on remand after courts declined to release him on bail.
The party said some suspects now regard pleading guilty as the fastest legal route to freedom after spending lengthy periods in custody.
Although NUP discouraged self-incrimination, it said supporters who enter plea bargains through lawful procedures should not face condemnation from the party.
NUP said it would instead assess how those supporters conduct themselves after leaving prison.
At the same time, the party praised detainees who have maintained their innocence despite remaining in custody. It described them as heroes whose commitment deserved recognition and continued support.
Party says more than 150 supporters remain detained
NUP claims that more than 150 of its supporters remain in detention on charges it describes as politically motivated and fabricated.
According to the party, authorities arrested some of the detainees before the 2021 general election. Others were detained following the January 2026 elections.
The treatment of opposition supporters has remained contentious since the 2021 election period, when security agencies arrested hundreds of people during and after the campaigns.
In several cases, detainees accepted plea bargains or pleaded guilty before receiving lighter sentences. Some later regained their freedom through presidential pardons.
Other suspects rejected plea agreements and maintained their innocence. Many remain on remand at Luzira and Kitalya prisons as their cases proceed through the courts.
High Court releases Muwanga Kivumbi on bail
NUP issued its statement a day after the High Court granted bail to former Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi.
Kivumbi had been held at Kitalya Prison since his arrest in January.
Authorities arrested him following violent clashes in Butambala District during a security operation in which more than 10 people were shot dead at his residence.
Prosecutors accuse Kivumbi of terrorism-related offences connected to the incident.
The High Court released him on bail on Thursday. However, the substantive criminal case remains before the court.
The latest developments have renewed debate about bail, prolonged remand and the treatment of opposition suspects within Uganda’s criminal justice system.
