Tension mounted at the Kawempe Chief Magistrate’s Court on Friday after NUP’s ailing member Sauda Madada failed to appear for a crucial bail ruling, days after she dramatically collapsed and was whisked away in an ambulance.
Madada, who reportedly vomited blood and was using a catheter during her earlier court appearance, remains in deteriorating condition raising fresh concerns over her continued detention.
The court went ahead with the bail ruling for other detained NUP figures including Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, Edward Ssebuufu, Achileo Kivumbi, and Calvin Tasi among others.
Thegroup is accused of conducting military-style drills during a February 12, 2025 meeting at the NUP headquarters in Makerere–Kavule, allegedly without authorisation from the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Prosecution insists the drills amounted to an unlawful assembly and conspiracy to commit a felony, charges that attract up to seven years in prison.
The arrests began in August 2025, with some suspects picked from the Makerere–Kavule office while others, like Madada, were arrested later reportedly near the Uganda–Kenya border.
Madada’s worsening health is now at the centre of the bail battle. Her lawyers argue that her prolonged remand exceeding the 60-day constitutional limit qualifies her for mandatory bail, and that denying her proper medical attention violates her rights.
But the State is pushing back, claiming the accused may interfere with witnesses, many of whom are reportedly fellow NUP associates.
Opposition leaders, including Joel Ssenyonyi, blasted the court’s decisions as politically motivated, warning that repeated bail denials erode trust in judicial independence.
Human rights observers have also sounded the alarm, saying long pre-trial detentions of opposition figures ahead of the 2026 elections raise serious concerns of targeted repression.
The court is expected to continue handling bail reviews and related applications as the politically sensitive case unfolds.
