Former Kampala Lord Mayor and People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) president Erias Lukwago has been committed to the High Court for trial on charges of misprision of treason after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concluded that it had gathered sufficient evidence to prosecute him.
The indictment, signed on July 14, 2026 by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jatiko Thomas on behalf of the DPP, states that the prosecution will rely on witness testimonies, audio and video recordings, immigration records, forensic reports and other documentary evidence during the trial.
According to the indictment, the prosecution alleges that Lukwago, as leader of the People’s Front for Freedom, knew about an alleged plot by several individuals to overthrow the Government of Uganda by force but failed to report the information to the relevant authorities.
The prosecution further contends that Lukwago was aware that KB, Hajji Obeid Lutale and other PFF members travelled to Nairobi, Kenya, where they allegedly met an individual identified as AW to discuss plans aimed at overthrowing the government.
The indictment alleges that during one of the meetings held on November 16, 2024 at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi, the group discussed acquiring weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, and allegedly planned civil disobedience activities. Prosecutors say the discussions were secretly recorded by AW, who was allegedly working with Ugandan military intelligence, and that the recordings will be presented as evidence before court.
“The recordings will be tendered and relied upon in court during the trial,” the indictment states.
The prosecution also claims that Lukwago knew that other individuals, including Frank Kihehere Atukunda, Joel Wakhaima, and Simon Rutarondwa, had allegedly participated in meetings related to the alleged plot but did not report the matter or take reasonable steps to prevent the commission of treason.
“Prosecution shall contend that the accused knew that KB, Hajji Obeid Lutale, Simon Rutarondwa, Joel Wakhaima, Frank Kihehere Atukunda, were intending to commit treason but did not report it to any authority in Uganda or use reasonable endeavour to prevent the commission of treason,” part of the indictment reads.
The indictment further states that investigators obtained immigration records and travel histories of the suspects, which allegedly confirm that they travelled outside Uganda during the periods when the alleged meetings took place. It also says investigators recovered audio and video recordings that were forensically examined and will be relied upon during the trial.
According to the prosecution, KB and Hajji Obeid Lutale were handed over to Ugandan security officers at the Malaba border on November 17, 2024 before initially being charged before the General Court Martial. Following the Supreme Court ruling that barred the trial of civilians in military courts, the case was transferred to the Uganda Police Force for fresh investigations before the suspects were charged in civilian courts.
Lukwago was arrested in June and charged before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court with misprision of treason, an offence that relates to allegedly failing to report knowledge of treason to the authorities. He denied the charge and has consistently maintained his innocence. His lawyers have argued that the case is politically motivated and have challenged both his arrest and detention.
With his committal to the High Court, the case now moves to the trial stage, where the prosecution will seek to prove its allegations beyond a reasonable doubt, while Lukwago will have the opportunity to defend himself before the court.
