Denied Even in Death: The Tragedy of Justice Deferred in Uganda

By Dr. Daniel Kawuma 

A Nation Distracted by the Wrong Question

The public debate in Uganda this week, following the death of Edith Mufumbiro, has largely centered on whether Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, the deputy spokesperson of the National Unity Platform, should be granted bail to attend his wife’s burial.

It is a painful and urgent question. But it is also an incomplete one.

Because it obscures a more fundamental truth: Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro should never have been in prison in the first place. Prisoners of conscience are not meant to negotiate for temporary freedom; they are meant to be free.

Beyond Bail: A Question of Fabrication

The real issue is not bail. It is the integrity of Uganda’s justice system.

At the center of this controversy lies a troubling pattern—one in which prosecutorial authority appears increasingly weaponized to suppress political opposition. In such a system, participation in opposition politics outside the ruling establishment can attract charges so vague and elastic that they require no proof, only compliance.

At the helm of this legal machinery is Lino Anguzu, entrusted with upholding justice, yet now facing growing scrutiny over the perceived politicization of his office.

The Case Against Alex Waiswa

Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro remains behind bars not because he has been proven guilty, but because he has been accused.

The charge? “Unlawful drilling,” allegedly committed on February 12, 2025, at the National Unity Platform headquarters.

Yet available accounts suggest that on the day in question, he was at the Uganda Cancer Institute, attending to his ailing wife who was battling cancer.

This contradiction is striking. It raises a basic question: can justice stand where facts appear so fundamentally misaligned with accusations?

And yet, in today’s Uganda, such contradictions seem increasingly irrelevant. Accusation has, in many cases, become a substitute for evidence. Detention has become a substitute for justice.

The Transformation of the DPP’s Office

Under Lino Anguzu, critics argue that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has shifted from a guardian of justice to what some describe as a “workshop of charges.” Here, legality is perceived to be manufactured rather than established.

The goal, increasingly, is not to secure convictions based on evidence, but to ensure prolonged incarceration. Months—and sometimes years—are spent in detention without trial, effectively turning the judicial process itself into punishment.

Bail as a Mirage

Bail, once a cornerstone of constitutional protection, appears to be eroding—particularly for individuals associated with political dissent.

Applications are filed. Legal arguments are made. Constitutional rights are cited.

Yet, the outcome often remains unchanged: denial.

Not necessarily because the law demands it, but because the prevailing power structures permit it.

A Personal Tragedy, A National Reflection

The death of Edith Mufumbiro exposes the human cost of this system.

She did not just lose her life—she lost the presence of her husband in her final days.
Alex Waiswa did not just lose his wife—he lost the opportunity to comfort her, to stand beside her, and to say goodbye. This is not justice delayed. It is justice denied.

A Pattern Across Uganda

This case is not isolated.

Across Uganda, countless families are enduring similar experiences. Loved ones remain detained under questionable charges, their cases stalled in prolonged legal limbo.

Lives are paused. Families are fractured. Futures are uncertain.

And all the while, the system grinds on.

The Unanswered Question

The story of Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro is not ultimately about bail.

It is about the erosion of justice, the normalization of prolonged detention without trial, and the quiet suffering of families caught in the machinery of a politicized legal system.

One question lingers:

How many more must suffer before justice is restored?

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