NUP's Bobi Young charged in army court with spreading harmful propaganda

The General Court Martial sitting at Makindye, Kampala on Monday remanded to prison National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter, Anthony Agaba alias Bobi Young, 29, on allegations of spreading harmful propaganda.

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Bobi Young who is also a blogger and a resident of Mutungo in the Nakawa Division was charged alongside two Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers.

They are L/CPL Apollo Bigirwa, 41, attached to the 2nd Division Infantry Guard Battalion in Mbarara District and Private Stuart Nuwahereza, 33, attached to the 3rd Division Battalion in Karamoja.

Bobi Young denied the charges before the court chaired by Brig Gen Freeman Mugabe but the two UPDF soldiers admitted to having committed the offence.

"A plea of guilty has been entered for you Bigirwa and Nuwahereza, and you are hereby remanded to Makindye Military Police Quarter Guard pending the sentencing. For you, Bobi Young, this court has entered a plea of not guilty and be remanded to Kigo Prison until February 13," Gen Mugabe ruled.

Bobi Young had been reported missing for eight days by NUP leaders following his alleged abduction by security  operatives.

Prosecution claims that on or around January 2023 in various areas of Kazo, Mbarara and Kampala districts, Bigirwa, Nuwahereza and Bobi Young made and spread ill and false statements against the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Government of Uganda.

The charge contravenes Sections 137 (1) of the UPDF Act, 2005 and attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, upon conviction.

Young's charges come just days after 12 other NUP supporters were on January 24, 2023 remanded to prison after they were charged with organising what police termed as an illegal assembly in Jinja City.