16 NUP Supporters Sentenced to Five Years After Admitting Plot to Overthrow Government, Possessing Bombs

By Harto Agathon, Crown Media East Africa

Kampala—The General Court Martial in Makindye has sentenced 16 supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) to five years in prison after they admitted to attempting to overthrow the Government of Uganda and possessing 13 pieces of explosives. The group confessed to the charges during court proceedings, a development that surprised many given the political sensitivity of the case.

The court, chaired by Brig. Gen. Freeman Mugabe, handed down the sentence, but noted that the convicts had already spent three years and eight months on remand. As a result, they will now serve an additional three months and 22 days in prison.

The 16 NUP supporters were arrested in connection with a plot to use explosives to destabilize the government, part of what authorities called an orchestrated attempt to incite widespread unrest. Their admission of guilt has been seen by some as an effort to secure a more lenient sentence, given the lengthy time they had already spent in custody.

NUP leaders, however, continue to argue that the confessions may have been coerced, pointing to the difficult conditions the accused faced while on remand. NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi stated, “We believe that the circumstances under which they were held influenced their decision to confess. This case, like many others, reflects the pressure opposition supporters face in Uganda.”

The group’s guilty plea has nonetheless brought the case to a quicker resolution, but the implications of their admission are likely to linger as the country approaches the 2026 elections. The ruling has reignited debates about political freedoms and the treatment of opposition members in Uganda.

Human rights groups have called for further investigation into the case, particularly regarding the legal process that led to the guilty pleas. They argue that the broader political climate may have played a role in the outcome of the trial.

The convicts are expected to complete their reduced sentences in the coming months, but their case remains a focal point in the ongoing discourse on political dissent and judicial fairness in Uganda.

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