Former Treachery Suspect and NUP Supporter Olivia Lutaaya Charged With Unlawful Drilling

National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter Olivia Lutaaya was on Tuesday brought before the Kanyanya Magistrate’s Court in Kawempe, where she was formally charged with unlawful drilling, a charge linked to alleged paramilitary-style training activities at the party’s offices in Kampala.

Lutaaya was arrested last week in Mbarara District alongside several other NUP supporters during the campaign trail of party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

According to prosecution, Ms. Lutaaya has been added to the same case file as NUP Deputy Spokesperson Waiswa Mufumbiro, Edward Ssebuufu alias Eddie Mutwe, and other party members who are currently on remand over similar charges.

The development marks a dramatic turn for Ms. Lutaaya, who was released last year from the Makindye-based General Court Martial following a presidential pardon.

She had spent three years on remand after being accused of treachery and engaging in acts prejudicial to national security.

During Monday’s proceedings, court officials confirmed that the accused would be remanded pending further investigations.

The National Unity Platform has not yet issued an official statement, but party members have previously described similar arrests as part of a wider campaign of intimidation targeting opposition figures ahead of the 2026 general elections.

Ms. Lutaaya’s re-arrest has reignited debate about the government’s handling of opposition activities and the limits of political expression in Uganda’s ongoing campaign season.