Former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) members Hamza Lyavaala and Walusansa Adiil have once again pleaded guilty to murder charges linked to two fake bomb incidents at Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine and Kalerwe Market on June 3, 2025, clearing the way for sentencing next month.
The two, who later turned state informers, reaffirmed their guilty pleas in court after previously seeking to withdraw their earlier admissions and take plea afresh as their case approached the sentencing stage.
The latest development came on Monday, October 26, 2026, when court had been scheduled to rule on their request to take plea afresh. Instead, Lyavaala and Adiil indicated that they wished to maintain their guilty pleas, paving the way for the court to proceed towards sentencing.
The court subsequently fixed November 2, 2026, for sentencing the two former rebels.
Their change of position places the case at a critical stage, with the court now expected to determine the appropriate sentences for their admitted role in the offences.
Army Officer Denies Charges
Lyavaala and Adiil are jointly charged with Lieutenant Colonel Ephraim Byaruhanga, who has denied the charges against him.
The contrasting pleas mean the case stands differently for the three accused: the two former ADF members have admitted guilt, while Byaruhanga maintains his innocence and will have to answer the allegations through the court process.
The distinction is significant because the court must determine the criminal responsibility of each accused on the basis of the applicable law and evidence.
Fake Bomb Incidents at Two Kampala Sites
The charges arise from two incidents involving fake bombs at Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine and Kalerwe Market on June 3, 2025.
The locations are significant public sites, and the allegations have placed the case within Uganda’s wider security concerns surrounding the ADF, an armed group linked to attacks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The case has also drawn attention because Lyavaala and Adiil later became state informers, a development that adds another dimension to proceedings involving alleged extremist activity and the prosecution of suspected members of the group.
Their decision to maintain their guilty pleas now leaves sentencing as the immediate next step in their cases.
The court is expected to sentence Lyavaala and Adiil on November 2, 2026, while the charges against Byaruhanga remain contested.
