Jamilu Mukulu Appeals to Judges over Alleged Torture and Starvation

Jamilu Mukulu alias Alilabaki Kyagulanyi, the suspected commander of the rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), has told the International Crimes Division of the High Court that he is enduring inhumane conditions at Luzira Prison, including torture, denial of food and medical care, and violations of his legal rights.

Appearing physically in court for the first time in four years under tight security, Mukulu addressed a panel of four justices and described his detention as cruel and degrading. He said he is confined in a 2.5 square meter cell with a small ventilator located six meters above, poor air circulation, and an overwhelming presence of mosquitoes. 

He added that he is forced to stay in the cell for 15 hours a day alongside a bucket used for both urine and faeces. Mukulu also alleged that prison authorities deny him access to a proper toilet, force him to clean his cell, and isolate him from other inmates.

“Even if a prisoner greets me with ‘Assalamu Aleikum,’ I am beaten,” Mukulu told the court. He further claimed to have contracted COVID-19 and developed diabetes and high blood pressure while in detention. Although doctors prescribed a special diet for his medical condition, he said he cannot afford the required foods, citing the high cost of matooke at 35,000 shillings, sugar at 10,000, and groundnuts at 15,000.

Mukulu also raised concerns about alleged interference with his legal documents and harassment of his former lawyers, including Isaac Ssemakadde, by prison authorities. He now wants the court to intervene and stop what he described as abuse by the prison administration. In response, the panel of judges said the concerns would be verified and addressed appropriately.

Alongside his co-accused, Muhammad Matovu and Omara Abdullah Mutuka, Mukulu petitioned the court to dismiss the charges of terrorism, murder, and robbery, arguing that their 2015 extradition from Tanzania was flawed and did not include most of the charges they now face.

Mukulu wants the court to declare the trial a nullity, arguing that it violates his right to a fair trial and contravenes extradition laws. The court has set June 23, 2025, as the date for ruling on Mukulu’s application. The prosecution alleges that between 2011 and 2014, 37 accused persons under Mukulu’s command acquired firearms, underwent military training in neighboring countries, and received funding to commit acts of violence motivated by political, religious, economic, and social reasons.

The group is also accused of murdering several Muslim clerics, including Sheikh Yunus Abubaker Mandanga and prominent Shia leader Dr. Abdul Qadir Muwaya (Dakitoor Muwaya), as well as orchestrating the attack on Bugiri Police Station in which two officers, Karim Tenywa and Muzamir Babale, were killed. The accused were arrested from various locations in Uganda and Tanzania between 2014 and 2015. 

Some of the charges date as far back as 1998, when suspected ADF rebels attacked Kichwamba Technical Institute, killing more than 80 students. In September 2019, pretrial judge Eva Luswata committed the group to stand trial. However, the case has since stalled, and the accused have not yet been tried.