Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has remanded 16 supporters of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to Luzira Prison on charges of robbery.

The group, consisting of youths aged between 16 and 28, appeared before Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko on Tuesday. They were charged with one count of robbery contrary to Sections 266 and 267 of the Penal Code Act, which they denied.

The suspects, all residents of Kampala and Wakiso districts, were arrested in connection with a robbery that occurred on Saturday near the National Theatre in Kampala.

The prosecution, led by State Attorney Allan Mucunguzi alleges that the group, along with others still at large, robbed a man identified as Kigozi Abdul of a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, a Nokia handset, and cash amounting to sh 600,000. The total value of the stolen items was estimated at sh1.45 million.

According to court documents, the suspects, some of whom were wearing yellow t-shirts bearing pictures of President Museveni, reportedly used violence during the robbery, causing grievous harm to the victim.

Those remanded include Turinawe Emmanuel, Nsereko Jamir, Maikuma Ashirtaf, Tumusiime Ronald, Lugwa Joseph alias Muyindi, Kengozi Jenipher, Mulani Shaban, Monday Joseph, Mugezi Isaac Benjamin alias Sparta, a student of S5 at St Francis SS in Nansana, Asaba Umarau Lakika, Serunkuma Derrick, Matovu Kenneth alias Cobra, Ogenyi Robert alias Ali Corbikz, Makafu Richard, Bwambale Edgar and Kadama Abdul.

State Attorney Mucunguzi told the court that investigations are complete. Magistrate Nankya remanded the suspects to Luzira Prison until July 18, 2025, when the hearing is expected to commence.

Earlier in the day, the Law Development Centre Court remanded a group of 14 NRM supporters over similar charges stemming from their involvement in the street robberies on Saturday.

The suspects, ranging from students and mechanics to boda boda riders and casual workers, are suspected to have links to the NRM party, with several previously seen actively participating in party mobilization and campaign events. However, their political affiliations were not mentioned as relevant to the criminal charges during court proceedings.

The cases were registered under separate criminal files at Wandegeya Police Station and are being prosecuted under various sections of the Penal Code Act, including Section 266 (Robbery), 267(1)(a), and Section 237 (Theft).

Trouble for the youth started on Saturday, when they were seen in a video that went viral as they were on streets wearing yellow t-shirts when the Chairman of the NRM Party and President of Uganda Museveni was to express interest in contesting as the party’s flag bearer in the 2026 general elections and also to remain as the party chairman.

Their faces were identified by security, and they were hunted down and kept at Wandegeya police before they could be produced today.