17 Kampala traders freed as court sets hearing date

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Seventeen traders accused of inciting violence over tax-related issues have Thursday, August 21, 2025, been released on bail.

Some of the accused, who were arrested on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, include Hakim Ssebuuma, Prossy Nampeera, Travor Mutaawe, Isaiah Agaba, Brian Ssemanda, Monica Kyomugisha, Sadat Aniwal, Brian Mutono and Blair Muhanguzi. They are battling charges of unlawful assembly.

Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko granted bail to the accused after they presented substantial sureties.

The magistrate released each of the accused on a non-cash bail of shillings 200,000 while their sureties were directed to execute a non-cash bond of 500, 000.

“I hereby grant the accused persons bail because the sureties presented before me are substantial,” she said.

State prosecutor Jane Francis Itae informed the court that investigations into the matter are complete and requested a hearing date.

Subsequently, the group was ordered to return to the court on October 15, 2025, for the hearing of the case.

The magistrate cautioned that failure to appear on the set date will result in re-arrest and forfeiture of the bond money.

Prosecution alleges that on August 19, 2025, at the Community Business Centre in Kampala, the accused staged an unlawful protest, blocked roads, and disrupted public order, the actions said to contravene the law.

Prior to the bail ruling, the defence lawyers, led by Shamim Malende and Farouq Ssengooba, requested that the accused be released without monetary conditions, arguing that most of them are low-income traders.

Traders meet Nabbanja

Immediately after the traders were released on bail, they met the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and agreed to call off their strike and open their shops today (Thursday).

During the meeting held at Statistics House in Kampala yesterday (August 20), Nabbanja pledged to present the traders’ concerns before Cabinet for a possible solution.

Among the issues raised were the suspension of the weight tax system, delays in container clearance, high customs valuation, a low value-added tax threshold and high VAT rates, tax disparities, unregulated involvement of foreign nationals in retail trade, concerns over the pre-export verification of conformity (PVoC) system, and harsh tax enforcement practices.