After spending more than a month behind bars, a police officer has been granted bail while his co-accused, a civilian bodyguard to politician Bobi Wine, has been told to stay in prison. This happened at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday, June 30.
The officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Charles Twine, was released from Luzira Prison after the court agreed that he had met all the requirements for bail. He had been on remand for one month and seven days, facing serious charges including inciting violence, hate speech, and sending harmful messages against top government leaders.
The ruling was made by Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi, who said that the sureties presented by Twine were strong and reliable. A surety is a person who promises to ensure the accused will return to court. Twine’s sureties included a teacher, a university lecturer, a businessman, and a government commissioner. The magistrate said they all had proper jobs and were trustworthy.
Twine was ordered to pay a cash bail of Shs5 million. His sureties were each bonded at Shs50 million, but they did not have to pay the money immediately unless Twine fails to appear in court again.
However, the story was very different for Twine’s co-accused, Noah Mitala, also known as Nuwa Mutwe, who is a well-known bodyguard to opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine. Mitala also applied for bail, but the court refused to release him. The magistrate said most of Mitala’s sureties were not strong enough because they had no proof of employment or ability to meet court conditions. Only his father, a self-declared land dealer, was accepted.
Because of this, Mitala was told to return to Luzira Prison until he can find better sureties or apply to the High Court. The case will continue on July 14.
Both Twine and Mitala are accused of using electronic messages to encourage violence against President Yoweri Museveni and army commander Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. They are also accused of making offensive statements against Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa. The state says these messages were shared between January 2024 and May 2025.
Despite these serious accusations, both men say they are not guilty.
This case has drawn public attention because it involves both a police detective and a bodyguard from the opposition. Many people are asking whether justice is being applied equally. Others are watching to see what happens next as the case returns to court in mid-July.
