Security agencies have yet to account for the whereabouts of former Butambala MP Muwanga Kivumbi, 10 days after he was brutally re-arrested shortly after securing bail.
Kivumbi was intercepted near Mpigi police station while travelling to Kampala, a day after the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High court granted him bail on July 10, 2026.
Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke said that if Kivumbi was in the custody of any security agency, he would be produced before court at the appropriate time.
Rusoke, who appeared reluctant to comment on arrests and allegations of incommunicado detention, also declined to discuss previous cases, including the arrest of Erias Lukwago, saying the matter is before court.
Although police have not officially acknowledged holding Kivumbi, video footage of his arrest shows uniformed police officers working alongside plain-clothed operatives intercepting his vehicle before he was driven away in a Toyota Hiace, commonly referred to as a “drone.”
The footage shows four police officers in khaki uniform and two traffic officers at the scene. A police patrol vehicle is seen blocking Kivumbi’s car while the Hiace waits a short distance away. It also shows a masked superintendent of police coordinating the operation.
The officer, later identified as Mpigi District Police Commander (DPC) Robert Kuzzala, is seen speaking on a phone or radio before directing plain-clothed operatives to remove Kivumbi from his vehicle, just metres from Mpigi police station.
One of Kivumbi’s lawyers, Samuel Muyizi, said the legal team filed a habeas corpus application at the ICD of the High court last week seeking his immediate production.
On Friday, the court granted the Attorney General more time to file a response, and the matter was adjourned to Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Muyizi said the application names Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abbas Byakagaba and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as respondents, seeking an order compelling them to produce Kivumbi, “alive or dead.”
He said the application was filed after lawyers spent several days searching for Kivumbi in police stations across Mpigi and Kampala without success.
On Monday, National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders led by acting party president John Baptist Nambeshe and Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi joined supporters at the home of the party’s deputy secretary general and former Butambala Woman MP Aisha Kabanda for duwa prayers for Kivumbi, who has not been seen since his arrest on July 10.
Kivumbi was initially arrested on January 22, 2026, over violence allegedly committed after the January 15 general elections.
According to the prosecution, between January 11 and 17, 2026, in Kibibi and Gombe town councils, Kivumbi and others allegedly participated in acts intended to intimidate the government for political purposes.
The charges include allegedly attacking Kibibi police station and the Butambala Electoral Commission tally centre, damaging the Butambala–Gomba road, and destroying vehicles.
His associates believe the latest arrest may be linked to remarks he made after his release, in which he sharply criticised President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, CDF Muhoozi and former Speaker Anita Among.
They also allege that his continued detention without being produced in court could be linked to injuries he may have sustained during interrogation while in custody, although there has been no official confirmation of the claim.
