The Grade One Magistrate’s Court in Butambala District has remanded two suspects to a juvenile detention facility amid ongoing uncertainty over their ages, underscoring persistent challenges in age verification within Uganda’s criminal justice system.
The two individuals, co-accused alongside Butambala County Member of Parliament Muwanga Kivumbi, are part of a terrorism case involving 25 suspects.
Presiding magistrate Deogratias Ssejjemba declined to grant bail to one of the accused, Paul Mawanda, citing doubts about whether he could be legally treated as an adult. Mawanda was subsequently transferred to the Naguru Remand Home, a facility designated for individuals under 18.
Medical examinations conducted by the Uganda Prisons Service, using radiological methods such as X-rays, suggested that Mawanda is below 18 while his co-accused, Wilson Muhinda, is 18. However, Muhinda’s mother, Salima Nanteza, contested the findings, insisting that her son remains a minor.
Magistrate Ssejjemba highlighted inconsistencies in the prison documentation, noting that the examinations had been conducted on February 18, before the court officially directed the tests. The prosecution acknowledged the discrepancy as an administrative error, while defense counsel Samuel Muyizzi questioned the basis of Nanteza’s claims, arguing there was insufficient evidence to support her assertion.
Amid the uncertainty, Muhinda was also transferred to the Naguru Remand Home to ensure both suspects are held in an appropriate facility. The court has adjourned the matter to April 14, when further clarifications regarding the ages of the accused are expected.
This development follows earlier proceedings in the high-profile terrorism case, where Magistrate Ssejjemba temporarily halted hearings after raising concerns that two suspects could be minors.
Reports suggested that some accused are still secondary school students, prompting legal questions about whether they can be tried as adults under Ugandan law.
The case highlights broader systemic challenges in verifying the ages of suspects, particularly in complex investigations where documentation is limited or disputed, raising concerns about due process and the treatment of minors within Uganda’s justice system.
