Concerns over judicial independence in Uganda have resurfaced after former Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju Nganda issued a strongly worded statement ahead of the bail ruling for Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who is expected to appear at Makindye Magistrate Court on Monday.
In a message shared on social media, Ssemujju described the court process as increasingly reduced to “processing centres,” where, he alleges, key decisions are influenced outside the judiciary.
“My brother Erias Lukwago returns to Makindye Magistrate Court to receive ruling for his bail application this Monday. As you all know courts have been turned into processing centres. Decisions are taken by Museveni, his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba Tibuhaburwa and or their agents,” Ssemujju stated.
The former legislator further expressed emotional distress over the possibility of security operations being carried out against Lukwago, including a hypothetical scenario involving military personnel breaching his home.
“I bleed each time I imagine military men scaling Lukwago perimeter wall and storm his bedroom, rough up his wife and walk Lukwago into a drone,” he added.
He also directed criticism toward the Commander of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, accusing him of viewing such enforcement actions as legitimate expressions of state power.
“Muhoozi thinks this is how power is exercised!” Ssemujju claimed.
The remarks come at a time of heightened political tension in Uganda, where opposition figures and government critics have frequently raised concerns about the role of security agencies in civilian legal processes.
Lukwago’s bail hearing has attracted significant public attention, with supporters and critics closely watching the outcome amid broader debates on the intersection of law, politics, and security enforcement in the country.