Lutaaya, a young mother and grassroots mobiliser from Kyotera, was arrested on December 30, 2020, during campaign activities for Kyagulanyi. She was among 32 supporters remanded to Luzira Prisons, accused of possessing explosive devices and charged with “treachery” and unlawful possession of ammunition.
In an interview, she recounted being summoned to a police post under false pretence, transferred to SIU Kireka, and eventually taken to a Military Court (General Court Martial) despite having no known search of her home or evidence linking her to the charges.
“They asked me whether I was Geoffrey Lutaaya’s sister… They charged me with possessing guns and military clothing. But no police officer had ever searched my home… I have no idea where they got the guns or uniforms they claimed I had.” — Olivia Lutaaya, November 2024
After nearly four years in detention, she and others “pleaded guilty” in October 2024 — a move widely criticised as coerced — and were released under a presidential pardon in November 2024.
“We were asked to choose between pleading guilty to the charges or rotting in prison.”
Despite this ordeal, Lutaaya remains defiant — and her presence in western Uganda rallies is a symbolic reminder of what many consider the unbowed spirit of the opposition: “never say die”.
Crackdown After the Rally: Western Uganda’s New Hotspot
Following the sweeping first rally in Mbarara, Kyagulanyi’s team set off towards Bwizibwera Town Council for a second engagement — only to find the route blocked by a heavy deployment of police and army personnel. Supporters from the west were among those rounded up, with reports suggesting over 100 arrests of local foot-soldiers from the region.
Security claimed the operation targeted individuals with criminal records and campaign sabotage; opposition counters that it was a pre-emptive political operation to choke momentum in Ankole. Kyagulanyi, however, brushed through the ambush, saying:
“They are doing this to deter us from going to all these places in Ankole, but we shall go to Rwampara and Ntungamo because we are going there within the law.”
Campaign materials show him in western Uganda after the ambush, red beret firmly on, backed by supporters from the region who say “we are with Bobi”.
Why the Pattern Matters
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The west of Uganda has historically been a stronghold of the ruling Yoweri Museveni regime. A massive rally and ambush there signals that the opposition is not just Kampala-based, but reaching into traditional NRM turf.
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The arrest and silencing of activists like Olivia Lutaaya show the stakes: mobilisation is treated as a security threat. Her story resurfaces now as western voices rise.
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The strategy of “intercept, detain, disrupt” seen in Mbarara mirrors what happened earlier in Kampala and Buganda. Demonstrators warn it may mark a new “front” of the 2026 campaign.
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Importantly, by publicly vowing to push into Rwampara, Ntungamo and beyond, Kyagulanyi signals that no district is off-limits — and the campaign is moving south-west.
In Her Own Words: “I’m Still Here, Still Standing”
Olivia Lutaaya’s message to her comrades is clear:
“I was separated from my children; I was in a cell alone. I could not see them… But I never gave up. I stand for the youths of Namuwongo; I stand for the people of Kyotera. They tried to break us — we still mobilise.”
Her freedom, in November 2024, came with a condition of “rehabilitation” at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi. Some supporters fear this might be used to disarm political resolve; others view it as the opposition’s symbolic return from the trough, battle-scarred but ready.
Rally | Ambush | Resolve
The sequence of events in Mbarara yesterday delivered a stark message: the campaign trail of Robert Kyagulanyi is gathering force — and so is the response from state security. As vehicles were intercepted, supporters detained and the atmosphere charged, one thing remained firm: the campaign will not pull back.
For many, western Uganda’s embrace of the red beret movement, amplified by diehards like Lutaaya, marks a turning point. The question now is whether the same resilience holds under pressure, and whether the ambush will intimidate or galvanise.
#UgandaToday #NeverSayDie #BobiWine2026 #AnkoleRises #OliviaLutaaya #CampaignTrailAmbush #ChangeUganda
