On several occasions, Dr. Prince Kassim Nakibinge Kakungulu the titular head of Muslims in Uganda has been seen publicly pleading with president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government to release all political prisoners detained before, during and after the 2021 general elections.
The mighty TV10GanoMazima established that the Prince has a reason to make such pleadings from the bottom of his heart because one of his blue eyed boys and a strong financier of the Office of the Supreme Mufti is being held by security forces.
In 2023, security forces arrested several suspects from Kawempe Division after accusing them of being terrorists and among them was Umar Magala a prominent businessman in Kalerwe a Kampala suburb.
Magala is a silent businessman who has a lot of political interests that’s why he heavily facilitates political activities especially those aimed at creating political change in the country.
Others suspects on the charge sheet with Magala include; Abdul Katumba, Abdallah Katumba, Muhamudu Kalyango, Hamidu Ssekidde Sulaiman Male, Wilber Kairugara, Hamidu Muyodi, Issa Makumbi, Rashid Ssebaggala and Salim Ssekabembe.
The accused persons are charged with terrorism offences and security claims that they have evidence pinning them on making improvised explosive devices and engaging in terrorrism activities without regard for the safety of the others.
Sources added that Magala for a long time has been a close friend to National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) and other party leaders like the Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya.
He has been on security radar over allegations that he is among the business people in Kampala who facilitated rioters in the deadly November 2020 riots where innocent people were killed.
The source also claims that in the 2021 elections, Magala wanted to contest for NUP ticket for Kawempe North but he decided to withdraw at the last hour because Muhammad Ssegirinya was very popular in the constituency and inside NUP party.
Even though he did not contest, he continued facilitating the party activities and his name was on top on the list of people Bobi Wine planned to give the party ticket come 2026.
Sources said that even though minister Balam Barugahare promised that Museveni assured him that he was going to release NUP political prisoners, those who were involve in burning tires on the roads, facilitating riots, undressing women will not be released.
The same decision will even work on those suspects involved in vendorizing electricity poles around the country, poisoning the president’s cows at his Kisozi farm and attacking police stations to steal guns.
Sources said that recently, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi tried to engage the Court Martial leadership to release NUP supporters charged in the military court on court bail but the move flopped because the big man is still very bitter with most of these prisoners.
However, Bobi Wine said that when he visited the NUP prisoners in Kitalya, they told him that they were under pressure to implicate him on terrorism and treason charges as a condition for their release.
