Who is next? Named but not charged: Treason case unsettles Uganda’s opposition

What the report says

The Observer reports that Uganda’s opposition has been unsettled by a treason-related case in which several prominent figures are named in prosecution documents but have not been charged in that matter. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the former Kiira Municipality MP and secretary general of the People’s Front for Freedom, told the newspaper by phone that he was outside Uganda when he learned prosecutors had included his name in an alleged plot to remove President Yoweri Museveni’s government by force. He denied attending the meetings described by the state or conspiring to use violence.

The case currently before court concerns former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who has been committed to the High Court for trial on a charge of misprision of treason. The Observer says prosecutors also named Ssemujju, Salamu Musumba, Lubega Mukaaku and political analyst Charles Rwomushana in a summary of evidence presented during Lukwago’s committal. The article notes that, based on available material, those other figures have not been formally charged in this case.

According to the prosecution account cited by The Observer, the alleged plot traces back to contacts beginning in 2021 involving a Ugandan in Switzerland, a private security operator, intelligence officials and later meetings said to have taken place in Europe and Nairobi. Prosecutors allege recordings and witness evidence will support claims that opposition figures discussed armed action; those claims have not yet been tested at trial.

The report places the case within wider opposition concern over detentions, security warnings and some leaders staying outside Uganda. Its significance lies in the legal and political uncertainty: the High Court will have to assess the state’s evidence, while opposition actors fear the investigation could broaden.