Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court has remanded Mercy Timbitwire, the public relations officer for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) secretariat, to Luzira Prison after being charged with multiple offenses.
Timbitwire gained widespread attention over the weekend after a video of her slapping a traffic police officer went viral.
On Monday, she was formally charged with assault and robbery. Timbitwire was reportedly left stunned when her mother refused to bail her out, citing disappointment in her behavior.
Prosecutors presented two cases against Timbitwire. In the first case, she is accused of robbing traffic officer Makawa of two mobile phones worth UGX 800,000 and an Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) machine valued at UGX 14 million—property of the Uganda Police Force.
She faces charges alongside Bernadine Abangira, an administrator at Berger Rights Holdings Limited, who is also accused of assaulting Officer Makawa.
Court documents reveal that Timbitwire and Abangira assaulted the officer after a traffic altercation. Abangira is additionally charged with aiding Timbitwire in evading legal consequences. Both are accused of using personal violence against Makawa while he was on duty.
In the second case, Timbitwire faces charges of reckless driving, failure to comply with police instructions, and operating a vehicle without third-party insurance.
She was allegedly seen driving a white Toyota Land Cruiser recklessly while using a mobile phone near Makerere University Business School (MUBS) on New Port Bell Road.
The court adjourned the hearing, and Timbitwire will remain in custody at Luzira Prison pending further proceedings.