According to the prosecution, the group comprised 54 adults and 13 children, all of whom were unable to produce valid identification or immigration documents. State Prosecutor Abraham Akandehako told the court that their undocumented stay in Uganda contravened the country's immigration laws and posed potential security concerns.
Turning to security, Museveni argued that Africa's future strength will depend on political unity, saying individual countries may not have the capacity to compete globally in areas such as space and maritime security.