The spokesperson of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, currently detained at Luzira Prison, is seeking temporary release following the death of his wife.
Edith Katende Mufumbiro passed away shortly after 3:00 a.m. after a prolonged battle with cancer. Her death was confirmed by NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu in a statement issued on Tuesday.
In a letter to the Chief Justice, Mufumbiro stated that he is charged with unlawful drilling before Her Worship Damalie Aguma Asiimwe. Despite several applications for bail through his lawyers, including a mandatory bail application, his requests have not been granted.
He further stated that, while still in custody, he was also charged with incitement to commit an offence in Criminal Case No. 147 of 2026 before Her Worship Ainembabazi Doreen, the Chief Magistrate.
“I will be appearing in court again on the 10th of April 2026 at 9:00 a.m. for bail rulings in both cases. With great sadness, I have learnt of the passing of my dear wife, Edith Katende, who had been battling cancer for a considerable time,” Mufumbiro said.
He added that in the final days of her life, as her condition deteriorated and it became clear she would not recover, Edith, in the presence of family members, expressed her last and most earnest wish: that he be by her side and be permitted to lay her to rest.
“It is for this reason that I have decided to appeal to your office for my temporary release. I humbly pray that you entreat the Chief Magistrate, Kawempe Chief Magistrate’s Court, and the Grade I as their supervisor, to grant me bail so that I may bury my wife,” he said.
“I approach Your Lordship not as a man who disregards the law, but as one who seeks the law in its most human and dignified expression to permit me one final act of love for my wife. I am willing to comply with any release conditions that you deem necessary under the circumstances,” he said.
Earlier today, NUP Secretary General Lewis Lubongoya visited Mufumbiro at Luzira Upper Prison to offer comfort during this difficult time.
“He is devastated by the news, which he first learned from fellow inmates who heard it on the radio,” Lubongoya said.
According to Lubongoya, Mufumbiro’s greatest regret is that he was not by his wife’s side in her final moments. He is now appealing for bail to allow him to attend her burial.
Lubongoya added that what pains Mufumbiro even more is that on the day the prosecution alleges he participated in unlawful drilling, he was at the Uganda Cancer Institute seeking medical care for his wife.
Mufumbiro and seven other NUP members, including Edward Ssebufu, also known as Eddie Mutwe, the head of Robert Kyagulanyi’s security detail are facing additional charges before the Kawempe Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The charges include unlawful drilling, conspiracy to commit a felony, and other related offences.
Prosecutors allege that on February 12, 2025, the accused, along with others still at large, held a meeting at NUP offices in Makerere-Kavule, where they reportedly conducted unauthorized military-style drills, movements, and formations, contrary to Section 45(1)(b) of the Penal Code Act.
Last month, Mufumbiro expressed frustration over his prolonged detention after the Kanyanya Magistrate’s Court barred media from recording proceedings.
“We have been in jail for seven months. We have requested a trial, but it has not been granted. When we are sick, we are brought here, but when you are indisposed, you are not present. We are being treated unfairly,” he said.
He further argued that delays and procedural challenges are undermining their right to a fair hearing, accusing the court process of lacking clarity and transparency.
