Kampala, Uganda — July 31, 2026-The National Unity Platform (NUP) activist Yasin Ssekitoleko, popularly known as Machete, has been released after nearly six years in detention, alongside eight other opposition supporters.
The nine were freed after a military court referred their cases to the Amnesty Commission, which issued them certificates allowing their release on Friday.
Ssekitoleko and his colleagues had spent years in custody following their arrests during the 2020–2021 election period. Their detention attracted attention from opposition leaders, human rights activists and legal observers, who questioned the prolonged period they spent on remand without their cases being concluded.
Other released activists include Kalanzi Sharif, Kintu Abdallah, Gibusiwa Abdukarim, Musa Kavuma, Joseph Muwonge, Jimmy Galukande and Patrick Mwase.
The group was among several opposition supporters arrested for political activities during and after the 2021 election campaigns, including those linked to the National Unity Platform in areas such as Kalangala District.
Following the release, NUP welcomed the development but criticised the circumstances surrounding the activists’ long detention, saying justice had taken too long for the former detainees and their families.
The party also raised concerns about the safety and treatment of opposition supporters after release, urging that the freed activists be allowed to reunite with their families and resume normal life.
At the NUP headquarters in Makerere Kavule, supporters gathered to receive the released members, with emotional scenes as they reunited with relatives and party colleagues after years apart.
The release comes amid continued debate over the use of military courts in cases involving civilians and broader calls for reforms aimed at ensuring timely trials and protection of constitutional rights.
The former detainees’ release is expected to renew discussions about political detentions, judicial processes and the role of amnesty in resolving long-running cases in Uganda.
