KAMPALA, UGANDA – A senior judicial officer at City Hall Court has accused Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Ms. Faridah Nakabuugo of interfering with court proceedings and allegedly facilitating the release of dozens of female suspects before they could take plea.
In a formal letter dated June 25, 2026, the Senior Principal Magistrate and Officer-in-Charge of City Hall Court, Mr. Nicholas Aisu, petitioned the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, describing what he termed a “disturbing incident” that disrupted court operations and halted scheduled hearings.
According to Mr. Aisu, the incident followed a joint enforcement operation by the Uganda Police Force and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) enforcement team, which resulted in the arrest of multiple suspects brought before City Hall Court for processing.
The magistrate stated that due to the unusually high number of suspects, court administrators temporarily separated female suspects from male suspects, placing approximately 93 adult women in a meeting room within KCCA premises with administrative approval while male suspects were being processed in open court.
He alleged that shortly before the female suspects were due to appear in court to take plea, Ms. Nakabuugo intervened and disrupted the proceedings.
“We were stunned when the Hon. Nakabuugo Faridah, Deputy Lord Mayor, obstructed their appearance before court and, working with some hooligans she had mobilized, forcefully freed all the female suspects who were set to appear before court,” the letter stated in part.
Mr. Aisu further reported that court proceedings were severely disrupted as a result, leaving multiple cases unprocessed.
“Court was thus unable to take plea in all cases,” he added.
The magistrate described the incident as an unprecedented interference in judicial operations and warned that it raises serious concerns about obstruction of justice and the integrity of court processes. He called for urgent guidance from the Judiciary to prevent similar occurrences in future.
The letter was reportedly copied to senior judicial officials, including the Registrar for Magistrates Affairs and Data Management, the Chief Magistrate of Buganda Road Court, and Senior Magistrate Edgar Karakire, and was attached to the official court file.
If substantiated, the allegations could trigger administrative and legal scrutiny over interference with judicial proceedings and the handling of suspects in custody.
When contacted, Ms. Nakabuugo questioned the circulation of the correspondence and indicated she would issue a formal response, which had not been received by the time of publication.
The Judiciary has not yet released an official statement regarding the matter.
