Makindye West Member of Parliament Aloysius Allan Ssewanyana has been recharged with terrorism following a revised charge sheet filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo.
On Monday, Ssewanyana appeared before the International Crimes Division (ICD) Judge Alice Komuhangi Khauka, alongside co-accused Mike Sserwadda, Jackson Kanyike, Bull Wamala, and John Mugerwa. The updated indictment removed the late Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya from the list of suspects.
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The charges relate to the infamous “bijambiya” (machete) killings that took place in 2021, leaving over 30 people dead and many injured across parts of central Uganda. The State has maintained terrorism as the main charge but also asked the court to consider murder, attempted murder, and aiding and abetting terrorism as alternative convictions should the primary charge fail.
According to the prosecution, Ssewanyana and his co-accused allegedly participated in or facilitated attacks carried out in Kampala, Rakai, and Masaka districts between January and August 2021. The indictment names victims Kizza Mugerwa, Sulaiman Kakooza, and Tadeo Kiyimba as having been killed, and Ronald Sebyoto as an attempted murder victim, all from Ssettaala village.
A separate count accuses Ssewanyana of financing terrorist activities, allegedly providing funds while aware they would support acts of terror.
However, Judge Komuhangi ruled that the suspects will not be allowed to plead to the charges until the court evaluates the prosecution’s evidence—which includes autopsy images, crime scene documentation, and witness statements—and determines whether to commit the case to full trial before a panel of three justices.
Ssewanyana is currently out on bail, while the other four suspects remain in custody at Luzira Prison. The court instructed both the prosecution and defence to submit their written arguments within two months. A decision on whether the charges will proceed to trial is expected on August 26, 2025.
The accused are represented by lawyers Henry Kunya, Crysostom Katumba, and Nicholas Ssenkumi, while Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka appears for the Office of the DPP.
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