The Senior Principal Magistrate and Officer-in-Charge of City Hall Court, Mr. Nicholas Aisu, has petitioned the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, accusing Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor, Ms Faridah Nakabuugo, of orchestrating the forceful release of dozens of female suspects from court custody before they could take their pleas.
The shocking allegations are contained in a letter dated June 25, 2026, in which Mr. Aisu details what he described as a “disturbing incident” that disrupted judicial proceedings and left court officials stunned.
According to the letter, the incident followed a joint operation by the Uganda Police Force and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) enforcement team, which resulted in a massive sweep of arrests.
Mr. Aisu noted that the court received an unusually high number of suspects on the day, forcing court administrators to temporarily separate female suspects from their male counterparts to ease congestion and facilitate orderly processing.
“The number was quite overwhelming given our facilities here; however, they were manageable going by the numbers we always attend to in this court on a daily basis,” Mr. Aisu wrote.
Approximately 93 adult female suspects who had already been arraigned were isolated and kept in a meeting room within the KCCA premises with permission from management, while the male suspects were being processed in open court.
The magistrate alleges that just as arrangements were finalized for the women to appear before the court to enter their pleas, Ms. Nakabuugo intervened and intercepted the judicial process.
“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 this afternoon,” the letter reads in part.
Mr. Aisu stated that as a result of the interference, court proceedings were severely disrupted, paralyzing dozens of criminal cases scheduled for the day.
“Court was thus unable to take plea in all cases,” he noted, describing the development as an unprecedented breach that raises serious concerns about interference with the administration of justice.
“The incident has stunned all stakeholders. I bring this to your attention and seek your guidance over the same and to curtail future reoccurrences,” the petition added.
The letter was copied to the Registrar for Magistrates Affairs and Data Management, the Chief Magistrate of Buganda Road Court, Senior Magistrate Edgar Karakire, and attached to the official court file.
If substantiated, the allegations could trigger severe legal ramifications regarding the obstruction of court processes and the unlawful handling of suspects awaiting trial before judicial officers.
When contacted by this publication for a comment, Ms. Nakabuugo questioned how this reporter had obtained the magistrate’s letter and promised to get back with a formal response. However, she had not done so by the time of publication.