Jamilu Mukulu terrorism case resumes Monday

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The case of former Allied Democratic Forces rebel commander Jamilu Mukulu, who is facing murder and terrorism charges, resumes Monday, March 23, 2026, with a case conference at the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kampala.

A case conference is a formal in-court hearing, presided over by a judge, aimed at helping parties resolve the case or reach a clearer understanding of the issues in dispute. During the hearing, the judge engages both the prosecution and the defence on the state of the evidence, factual disputes and legal issues.

The trial of Mukulu and his co-accused had temporarily stalled due to inadequate funding.

The matter is being heard by a panel of High Court justices comprising Michael Elubu, Dr Andrew Bashaija, Susan Okalany and Stephen Mubiru.

Mukulu is facing charges of murder and terrorism alongside 37 other accused persons, including Ali Kabambwe, also known as Munakenya. The offences of terrorism and murder carry a maximum penalty of death upon conviction.

Mukulu and the group are implicated in the murder of seven people, including Sheikh Abdukadir Muwaya and Sheik Yunus Abubaker Madangu. Others who were killed include Buyinja subcounty LCIII chairperson David Tito Okware, Julius Owori, police constable Muzamir Babale, special police constable Karim Tenywa and John Stephen Owori.

According to the prosecution, the offences were committed between 2002 and 2015 in various districts, including Kampala and Namayingo. The accused have denied the charges.

Court records indicate that four witnesses have so far testified in the matter, including Vincent Ekweny, who told the court that Okware was in 2015 shot dead by Kabambwe, one of the suspects.

On November 18, 2025, Ekweny, a peasant farmer from Namavundu in Namayingo District, told the court that on February 4, 2025, he was summoned to Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja district, which has since been closed, to identify suspects who had been arrested over murder.

Ekweny said that during the identification parade, he recognised Kabambwe as the man who shot his uncle, Okware.

He stated that he saw Kabambwe’s face on the night of the murder, saying this was made possible by the moonlight on the evening.

Ekweny recounted that on February 1, 2015, he was working at a gold mine in Nakundi when his uncle arrived to check on him. The witness told the court that they spent the afternoon together while Okware examined faulty machinery at the site.

“We later returned to Okware’s home at around 6:00pm,” he said.

As they settled in, Ekweny said he sat on the verandah while his uncle went into the kitchen and returned with a jackfruit. Ekweny said Okware then moved to sit on the neighbour’s veranda, just a few metres away from his home.

“It was at this point that I saw a motorcycle carrying three men slowly passing through the compound along a small feeder road. The motorcycle had no number plate, and although its headlamp was in full beam, the bright moonlight allowed me to see clearly,” Ekweny said.

Ekweny revealed that moments later, the motorcycle returned with two men and the passenger (Kabambwe) jumped off and ran towards him, stopping close enough for the two to stare at each other for nearly two minutes.

According to the witness, the assailant then turned towards Okware and shot him as he sat on the neighbour’s verandah.

“The attacker then turned towards me, but I ran into the house,” he said, adding that the gunman fired several shots before fleeing on the motorcycle. Okware died shortly after.

The court heard that Uganda Police officers later arrived at the scene but were chased away by angry residents, who accused them of responding too late.