KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago says he has spent his entire time in Luzira Prison’s hospital since his arrest on June 15, citing chronic health conditions that require specialised care.
Lukwago, who is also president of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), told Vivid Voice News during a visit to Luzira that he has remained in the prison hospital because the ordinary cells cannot accommodate his medical needs.
He said he requires a specialised orthopaedic bed because of longstanding spinal problems.
“I have got five chronic diseases that need special care, which obviously I cannot get from the hospital here,” Lukwago said.
“I have been sleeping in the hospital all the time I have been here, because I need a special orthopaedic bed which you cannot get from the prison cells.”
Lukwago was arrested on June 15 and later charged with one count of misprision of treason before being remanded to Murchison Bay Prison at Luzira.
Mulago recommends spinal review in India
A medical report from Mulago National Specialised Hospital recommends that Lukwago return to India for a review by the surgeons who previously treated his spinal condition.
According to the report, doctors were concerned about persistent upper-limb radiculitis and were unable to repeat an MRI examination because they could not establish whether the artificial disc implants used during his previous spinal surgery were compatible with the available MRI equipment.
The report, signed by Mulago Executive Director Dr Rosemary Byanyima, recommends a spinal review by Lukwago’s primary surgeons in India.
The medical assessment also lists several conditions affecting the former mayor, including hypertension, a post-Covid-19 lung condition with residual mild cylindrical bronchiectasis, persistent anosmia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with aerophagia and belching, and a mild hiatus hernia.
Lukwago said managing the conditions in prison had proved particularly difficult.
Prison diet and sleeping conditions pose challenges
He said his GERD requires a special diet that is difficult to maintain in prison.
“I need a special diet because of the problem with my GERD. That special diet is not available here,” he said.
He also complained about the timing and conditions under which meals are served.
According to Lukwago, supper is served as early as 2pm, meaning the food is often cold by the time he eats it.
His medical conditions also create conflicting requirements over how he should sleep.
“Because of the GERD issue, I’m supposed to sleep on a raised bed so that the food I have eaten doesn’t come back, but because of the issues of the spine, I’m supposed to sleep on a flat, hard surface,” he said.
Lukwago recounts alleged abduction
Lukwago also recalled the circumstances surrounding his arrest on June 15, alleging that armed security personnel raided his home in Wakaliga, Lubaga Division, shortly after he had spoken to several media organisations.
He had been preparing to serve court documents on Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, in a case involving his client, opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye.
Lukwago said the documents related to allegations that Gen Muhoozi and two other UPDF officers had violated Besigye’s rights following his abduction from Nairobi, Kenya.
According to Lukwago, Gen Muhoozi had responded on X by threatening to arrest anyone who attempted to serve him with the documents.
Lukwago said security personnel subsequently surrounded his home.
He retreated to his bedroom and remained there for several hours before the security personnel allegedly breached the compound and entered the house.
He said officers eventually forced open his bedroom door and dragged him to a waiting Toyota Hiace, commonly referred to as a “Drone”.
Lukwago alleged that he was blindfolded inside the vehicle and driven for about two hours before being taken to an unidentified location.
He said his captors questioned why he had given Gen Muhoozi 24 hours to respond to the court documents, apparently interpreting the legal papers as an arrest warrant.
Lukwago further alleged that he was slapped repeatedly during the interrogation.
He said his blood pressure subsequently rose sharply, prompting his captors to ask about his medication and obtain it for him.
The allegations have not been independently established.
‘Now they can arrest you for anything’
Lukwago said his experience had reinforced his concerns about the political environment in Uganda.
“We are living in very dangerous times. Now they can arrest you for anything,” he said.
Asked about opposition politicians who have chosen to leave the country, Lukwago said the decision to go into exile was rarely a first choice.
“I don’t think there is anyone who would want to run away from his/her country. But the situation we are living in has become very precarious,” he said.
Before his incarceration, Lukwago was part of the legal team representing Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale, alongside Kenyan politician and lawyer Martha Karua.
Karua was later stopped from entering Uganda at Entebbe International Airport and declared persona non grata by Ugandan authorities.
Besigye’s family raises concern
Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s wife, has also raised concerns over Lukwago’s condition.
Speaking at a press conference, Byanyima said Lukwago was unwell and argued that his legal representation of Besigye should not have resulted in his detention.
“If this is how Besigye and Lukwago can be treated, where does it leave Ugandans who have no voice?” she said.
Other opposition figures remain in Luzira
Lukwago is not the only prominent political or public figure being held at Luzira.
Vivid Voice News also encountered Chris Obore, the former communication director at Parliament, who has been interdicted and remanded over allegations relating to the embezzlement of parliamentary funds.
Obore and six others have been committed to the High Court to face charges involving Shs26.8 billion in alleged misappropriation of parliamentary funds.
Obore said he remained uncertain about when he would be released.
“I’m now here and I don’t know when I will ever leave. But that’s what it is; there is nothing I can do about it,” he said.
At Luzira Upper Prison, National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro is also approaching a year on remand.
Mufumbiro said eight accused persons had chosen to maintain their innocence despite the possibility of spending longer in custody.
He said several co-accused had pleaded guilty and received relatively short sentences.
“We are now remaining eight of us who have refused to plead guilty. I know we might spend more time here, but it is [better] than agreeing to crimes we did not commit,” Mufumbiro said.
His detention has come with significant personal costs. While on remand, Mufumbiro lost his bid to represent Nakawa East in Parliament and his wife, Edith Katende, died of cancer.
The accounts emerging from Luzira highlight the wider human and political consequences of prolonged detention, as prominent opposition figures and public officials remain entangled in criminal proceedings while their cases move through Uganda’s courts.
