Bail sought for security officers accused of kidnap, armed gold robbery
It is also alleged that during the same day and time, the group abducted Cpl Daniel Okiror and Mugyenzi against their will, with the intent to dispose of them and put them in danger of being murdered.
In the dock at the General Court Martial at Makindye in Kampala are security operatives accused of kidnapping a businessman in Kampala, before robbing him of 10kg of gold at gunpoint. The officers have sought bail, pending response from the prosecution. (Credit: Douglas Mubiru)
___________________
Five security operatives accused of kidnapping a businessman in Kampala and robbing him of 10kg of gold at gunpoint have applied for bail before the General Court Martial (GCM) at Makindye in Kampala.
The applicants are seeking mandatory bail, stating that they have spent more than 60 days on remand at Kigo and Luzira Prisons, respectively, without trial.
They are UPDF militant RA/236834 Private Joshua Obara, a rifleman attached to 1st Division Headquarters Kakiri, No. 037582 S/Sgt Collet Jawiambe, a police officer attached to Counter Terrorism at Naguru Police Headquarters, and No. 38983 Cpl Gilbert Mafabi, 39, a former police officer residing in Makindye, Kampala district.
Others are No. 25789 PC Wilson Atekateka, a retired police officer residing in Makindye division, Kampala district, and No. 35343 D/Cpl Charles Ilungole, a police investigator attached to Kyotera Central Police Station (CPS).
Through their lawyers, Elizabeth Nyasingwa, Brian Mwogi, and Captain Daniel Kagombe, the applicants on April 7, 2026, presented more than 13 sureties and requested the GCM, chaired by Col Frederick Kangwamu, to find each guarantee substantial and grant bail on favourable terms.
“My lords, applicants have been in detention since September 23, 2024, have spent more than 180 days behind bars, all have substantial sureties, have fixed places of abode within this court’s jurisdiction, and are family men with dependents. We, therefore, pray that court finds all their sureties substantial and grants each of the five applicants bail,” submitted Bwogi.
Among the applicants’ sureties are Inspector of Police (IP) Moses Byaruhanga, attached to Naguru Police Headquarters, WO2 Alfred Rongido, businesswoman Mary Caroline Amoding, police officer Anyasi Wakalanda, attached to Directorate of Police Fire Prevention and Rescue Services, and John Tinka, who described himself as a Ngoma clan leader, among others.
Responding to the bail application, the prosecution, led by 2nd Lt Phillip Anthoney Olupot, requested an adjournment to allow them to respond appropriately to each surety presented.
“My lord, we seek a short adjournment till April 14, 2026, to enable us to respond to the bail application before you,” Olupot told court, adding that investigations were ongoing.
Col Kangwamu adjourned the case to April 14, 2026, for the state to respond to the accused’s bail application.
Charges
Prosecution alleges that Ubura, Jawiambe, Mafabi, Atekateka, and Illungole, on July 23, 2024, at Jalia City on the Kampala–Masaka highway in Mpigi district, robbed Ian Mugyenzi of 9kg of gold and were in possession of a deadly weapon, a pistol S/No. UPDF45306157.
It is also alleged that during the same day and time, the group abducted Cpl Daniel Okiror and Mugyenzi against their will, with the intent to dispose of them and put them in danger of being murdered.