Human rights activist and law student Praise Aloikin Opoloje has been granted bail by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court after spending more than two weeks in Luzira Women’s Prison.
Chief Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko granted Opoloje bail on Wednesday, setting a cash deposit of Shs500,000. Her sureties were each required to execute non-cash bonds of Shs1 million.
The court also ordered her not to travel outside Uganda without its permission.
Opoloje, 27, was remanded on September 28 after pleading not guilty to a charge of using another person’s SIM card, contrary to Regulation 29 of the Regulation of Interception of Communications Regulations, 2024.
The prosecution alleges that she used an MTN telephone line registered in the name of Martha Nalapa Tasima, identified as her mother, to carry out an illegal activity in Rubaga and Kampala Central divisions in September.
Her arrest around September 26 attracted public attention, with activists and lawyers raising concerns about the circumstances surrounding her detention.
Opoloje had reportedly been summoned to Namungoona Police Station over a dispute involving a carpet. Activists and lawyers later alleged that she was handed over to officers believed to be from Defence Intelligence and Security.
Police rejected claims that she had been abducted, maintaining that her detention was lawful and connected to allegations involving the misuse of her digital platforms.
The case has also drawn attention because of social media videos in which Opoloje reportedly referred to Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as a “cabbage”.
However, the formal charge before court concerns the alleged use of a SIM card registered in another person’s name.
Opoloje is a final-year law student at Makerere University and received the 2025 European Union Human Rights Defenders Award. She is also known for her activism on governance and accountability issues.
In 2024, she was arrested in connection with anti-corruption protests during which she and two other activists appeared partially unclothed. Those cases later encountered setbacks in court.
Her release was welcomed by supporters, including activist and former lecturer Stella Nyanzi, who referred to her as the “Cabbage Banger” while thanking those who stood surety for her and attended court.
Academic Jim Spire Ssentongo also questioned the public resources being spent on a case involving a telephone line registered in the name of a relative.
The bail decision allows Opoloje to continue with her legal proceedings outside prison, subject to the conditions imposed by the court.
The case remains before the court, and Opoloje is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
