KAMPALA, UGANDA — Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has publicly confirmed the detention of Eddie Mutwe, the chief bodyguard for National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Gen. Muhoozi stated, “He is in my basement.”
He further added, “If you see Eddie’s head now he looks like an egg. Totally clean.”
These remarks follow an earlier announcement on Wednesday by NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, who reported that Mutwe had been “kidnapped by armed men” in Mbalwa, Mukono District, and whose whereabouts had remained unknown since.
Through a series of posts on X, Gen Muhoozi made comments strongly suggesting Mutwe was in custody and had undergone changes during this period.
“The beards were the first thing the boys removed. After he finished crying and urinating,” Gen Muhoozi wrote.
This was followed by, “If you see Eddie’s head now he looks like an egg. Totally clean.”
And later, “Eddie is looking very smart these days. The boys have tuned him well. He salutes Mzee’s picture every day before breakfast.”
While General Muhoozi did not explicitly disclose the location of Mutwe’s detention or the legal basis for it, these statements have been widely interpreted as an admission that he is being held by security forces under their control.
Bobi Wine responded to Gen Kainerugaba’s posts with a terse, “Time will tell.”
As of Thursday evening, no official statement had been released by the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), or any other government agency regarding Mutwe’s status.
No formal charges against Mutwe have been announced.
NUP officials have called for transparency in the matter and demanded that Mutwe be presented before a court of law if his detention is lawful.
“This is a clear indication that our colleague is being held. We expect the state to follow the law,” a party official stated.
Mutwe has been arrested on previous occasions and has been a significant figure in Bobi Wine’s personal security detail since the emergence of the People Power movement.
Enforced disappearances and violent arrest of opposition supporters have happened on multiple occasions before, during and after the 2021 presidential elections. Many of the missing individuals resurfaced during their arraignment in the General Court martial, while others were abandoned on the roads with torture marks.
The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, said Sunday that National Unity Platform (NUP) principal, Robert Kyagulanyi’s chief civilian bodyguard, Edward Ssebufu, commonly known as Eddie Mutwe, had been “abducted from Mukono by armed men and taken in a drone.”
“The continuous breakdown of the rule of law in Uganda should concern all right-thinking people,” Mr Ssenyonyi said.
Mr Kyagulanyi, who recently declared his intention to challenge President Museveni for the second time in the 2026 elections, condemned the abduction that allegedly happened at Kiwango village.
Eddie Mutwe has been arrested several times and charged with various offences, including treason and illegal possession of ammunition. However, the opposition says the arrests and charges are politically motivated.
