KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan police have arrested Muwanga Kivumbi, the incumbent Butambala County legislator and vice president of the National Unity Platform (NUP) for Buganda, in connection with incidents of election-related violence that erupted in the district following last week’s general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday morning, the Uganda Police Force confirmed that Kivumbi was in custody and would be presented before court.
“The Uganda Police Force would like to confirm the arrest of the Butambala County legislator, Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi. He is currently in police custody and will be arraigned before court in due course,” police said, adding that the arrest was linked to “recent incidents of political violence in Butambala.”
The confirmation followed hours of uncertainty after officials from the opposition NUP reported that Kivumbi had been taken by security personnel at about 6:50 a.m., with no immediate disclosure of his whereabouts.
Disputed killings in Butambala
Kivumbi’s arrest comes against the backdrop of a deadly confrontation in Butambala during the election period, in which several people were killed under circumstances that remain contested by authorities and the opposition.
On Sunday, President Yoweri Museveni addressed the incident while receiving the official declaration of presidential election results at his Rwakitura residence. He accused opposition-linked groups of instigating violent attacks after losing at the polls.
“In Butambala, a character called Kivumbi was defeated. Then they planned that where NUP is defeated, gangs with pangas should attack the polling station,” Museveni said, adding that seven people were shot dead as security forces responded to the alleged attack.
The president warned against what he described as political extremism, saying the government would not tolerate violence and urging all Ugandans, including opposition supporters, to maintain peace.
Kivumbi rejects Museveni’s account
Kivumbi has strongly disputed the president’s version of events. Speaking earlier, before Museveni’s remarks and prior to his arrest, the opposition politician alleged that security forces raided his home at night while vote tallying was still ongoing and killed members of his campaign team inside his residence.
“They were killed inside my house. They weren’t even on the road. They were looking for me,” Kivumbi said.
He added that several people fled the compound as security forces stormed the home. Video footage recorded the following morning showed bullet holes in doors and walls.
Police have rejected Kivumbi’s claims. Katonga region police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said officers were responding to unrest earlier in the day, including alleged attacks on a tally centre and a police station by opposition supporters.
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Police maintain that seven people were killed during the violence.
Political implications
According to official election results, Kivumbi lost the Butambala County parliamentary seat to journalist-turned-politician Eriasa Mukiibi.
Opposition figures have condemned Kivumbi’s arrest, describing it as part of a broader pattern of post-election crackdowns on opposition leaders. They have renewed calls for an independent investigation into the killings in Butambala.
Authorities, however, insist the arrest is part of ongoing investigations into election-related violence and deny targeting individuals on political grounds.
The case is expected to further intensify scrutiny of Uganda’s post-election environment, which has been marked by arrests, disputed fatalities, and renewed debate over the conduct of security forces during electoral periods.
