BUTAMBALA, Uganda — Former Butambala County Member of Parliament and National Unity Platform (NUP) vice-president for Buganda, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, has given his first detailed account of the 19 days during which he disappeared from public view, alleging he was abducted, tortured and held incommunicado before being returned to the criminal justice system to face fresh charges.
Speaking from Kitalya Prison, where he was remanded after his reappearance, Kivumbi claimed he was seized by security operatives less than 24 hours after regaining his freedom on bail, subjected to severe beatings, denied access to lawyers and family members, and held at an undisclosed detention facility before being presented before court.
Ugandan authorities have not publicly responded to the specific allegations at the time of publication.
Kivumbi had been released on bail on July 10 by Justice Suzan Okalany after spending nearly six months on remand over terrorism charges arising from violence that followed Uganda’s disputed January 2026 presidential and parliamentary elections.
He had been arrested on January 22, 2026, alongside several co-accused following unrest at his home in Butambala.
Supporters welcomed his release, and during a public address he criticised President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and former Speaker Anita Among, accusing them of contributing to Uganda’s governance challenges.
According to Kivumbi, he attended Friday prayers the following day before travelling towards Kampala.
He alleges that shortly after reaching Mpigi, heavily armed security personnel intercepted his vehicle and directed him to a nearby police station before forcing him into what Ugandans commonly refer to as a “drone” — an unmarked white Toyota Hiace van frequently associated with security operations.
Kivumbi alleges that officers immediately covered his head with a hood before assaulting him while questioning him about remarks he had made concerning Gen Muhoozi and the First Family.
“As soon as I was pushed into the drone, a hood was put over my head to stop me knowing where I was being taken,” he said.
He claimed the officers repeatedly demanded to know who Uganda’s legitimate leader was before allegedly beating him whenever he attempted to answer.
Kivumbi said he was eventually taken to what he believes was a detention facility in Entebbe, where he alleges he was confined in a small room and subjected to repeated beatings using electric cables.
According to his account, the assault only stopped after he sustained a head injury.
“They thought I was going to die and they stopped,” he said.
He further alleged that he later received medical attention from a doctor, was prescribed medication and underwent treatment for injuries sustained during the alleged assault.
Vivid Voice News has not independently verified these claims.
Kivumbi said he remained detained without being informed why he was being held or how long his detention would last.
He also claimed he heard other detainees being tortured during the night.
“You would hear people crying as they were being tortured throughout the night,” he alleged.
According to Kivumbi, after nearly two weeks in detention an officer showed him social media posts claiming he had died and allegedly warned him that authorities could do anything to him because the public already believed he was dead.
He further claimed he was questioned again about his criticism of senior government officials before being returned to his room.
Nineteen days after his disappearance, Kivumbi said he was transported under a hood before eventually being taken to Nateete Police Station, where he was allowed to meet his lawyer, Medard Lubega Sseggona.
Police subsequently arraigned him before Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court on fresh charges of allegedly managing an unlawful society and inciting violence.
He was remanded to Kitalya Prison and is expected to apply for bail on August 11.
The allegations come amid longstanding concerns raised by opposition politicians, human rights organisations and civil society groups over alleged enforced disappearances, torture and unlawful detention by security agencies.
Ugandan security agencies have previously denied involvement in unlawful detentions and have maintained that arrests are conducted within the law.
Also Read: NUP’s Muwanga Kivumbi remanded over incitement, unlawful society charges
At the time of publication, the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans Affairs, and the Office of the President had not publicly responded to Kivumbi’s latest allegations.
Despite his experience, Kivumbi insisted he would continue participating in opposition politics.
“We cannot keep quiet because that is exactly what they want,” he said.
“There is no better gift you can give them than keeping quiet. I am not going to do that.”
His account is likely to intensify debate over the treatment of political opponents and the conduct of security agencies as Uganda moves towards its next electoral cycle.
