The Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court has further remanded Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, who also serves as Vice President for the Central Region of the National Unity Platform (NUP), to Kitalya Prison on terrorism-related charges.
The decision followed Chief Magistrate Deogratius Ssejjemba’s dismissal of Kivumbi’s application alleging violations of his constitutional rights.
Speaking after the court session, Kivumbi’s legal team, led by Medard Sseggona, said they had applied for the release of the accused persons on grounds that their rights had been violated — particularly in relation to Kivumbi, who did not record a police statement.
Sseggona explained that Kivumbi declined to record a statement because he objected to what he described as police attempts to dictate its content.
“The reason he never recorded a statement is because he declined to answer to the dictates of the police. They wanted a particular line of statement, which he declined — especially when he mentioned the murders that took place at his house on that fateful night,” Sseggona said.
He further told court that the defense had raised concerns about what they termed lopsided investigations.
“We complained to the court that the police are carrying out lopsided investigations and should first be compelled to assign impartial and objective officers to conduct professional investigations,” he added.
In his ruling, the magistrate held that supervision of investigations falls under the mandate of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and that the court was not in a position to direct how investigations are conducted.
The case was adjourned to March 10, 2026.
Prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Racheal Bikhole, alleges that Kivumbi, together with other suspects still at large, engaged in acts intended to intimidate the Government of Uganda and the general public for political purposes.
According to the prosecution, the alleged acts occurred between November 11 and 17, 2025, in the Kibibi and Gombe areas of Butambala District.
Bikhole further alleged that the suspects planned coordinated attacks targeting the Kibibi and Butambala police stations, as well as offices of the Electoral Commission within the district.
