High Court dismisses Lukwago bail application citing committal for trial

What the report says

The Independent Uganda, citing URN, reported that the High Court Criminal Division in Kampala has rejected a bail application by city lawyer Erias Lukwago after finding that the request had been overtaken by his committal for trial in the High Court. Justice David Matovu delivered the ruling on Thursday, saying the application related to a Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court case that no longer stood after Lukwago was committed on July 16, 2026, on a charge of misprision of treason.

The court also noted that the new High Court criminal session file had not yet been assigned to a judge, and directed the Deputy Registrar to speed up allocation for case management. Lukwago, who has denied the charge, was first charged on June 17, 2026. He is also described in the report as one of the defence lawyers in the treason proceedings involving retired Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye and others.

Lukwago had sought bail partly on medical grounds, citing several chronic conditions and presenting reports from Mulago National Referral Hospital. The court accepted that his four proposed sureties were substantial and found that prosecution claims about flight risk and possible witness interference were speculative. However, Justice Matovu said the medical material lacked certification from an authorised Uganda Prisons Service medical officer showing that prison facilities could not manage his condition. He ordered that Lukwago’s medical records be shared with prison authorities for appropriate care.

According to the reported indictment, prosecutors accuse Lukwago of failing to report information about an alleged plan to overthrow the government between 2021 and November 2024. Misprision of treason under Uganda’s Penal Code concerns failure to disclose knowledge of intended treason to the authorities.