More than 100 people have been charged in connection with post-election protests that took place in Masaka City, Uganda after the Electoral Commission announced the presidential election results. The accused appeared before the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The suspects, arrested from different areas across the city, face multiple charges including unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, and malicious damage to public property. Authorities say the arrests followed demonstrations that disrupted public order in several parts of Masaka.

According to the charge sheet, between January 17 and 19, at various trading centres within Masaka, the accused persons allegedly blocked and destroyed roads using burning car tyres, participated in unlawful assemblies, and damaged government property, including shattering the windscreen of a police patrol pickup truck.

Court proceedings were conducted in groups due to the large number of accused. Magistrate Abdallah Kayiza read out the charges but deferred plea-taking. 

The accused denied the charges. Some stated they were arrested while returning from work, while others said they were picked up from their homes. Minors arrested alongside adults were released to their parents.

The court set different dates for hearing bail applications. Groups of suspects are expected to return on January 23, January 26, and February 13, 2026. Several accused persons were remanded to prison facilities pending the hearings.

Legal representatives from the Uganda Law Society have started filing bail applications for the accused. Concerns were raised about the health and welfare of some suspects during court proceedings.

Local leaders have urged residents to remain calm and allow the judicial process to take its course. Court sessions will continue on the scheduled dates as investigations into the post-election unrest proceed.