The government is yet to provide clarity on the whereabouts of National Unity Platform (NUP) vice president for Buganda, Muwanga Kivumbi, days after his reported re-arrest shortly after being granted bail, raising fresh concerns within opposition circles about due process and state transparency.
Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, on Tuesday raised the matter on the floor of the House, questioning security agencies over Kivumbi’s continued incommunicado detention. Ssenyonyi said the former Butambala County MP was last seen following his release on bail by the International Crimes Division of the High Court last week.
“I seek to know the whereabouts of former Butambala County MP, Muwanga Kivumbi, who was last week released on bail but reportedly went missing thereafter,” Ssenyonyi told Parliament, adding: “It is now four days, and we don’t know where he is.”
Kivumbi was reportedly re-arrested in Mpigi district, where he had been intercepted at a roadblock while travelling to Kampala, only hours after his release. The circumstances surrounding the re-arrest remain unclear, with no official communication from security agencies explaining his current status.
Responding to the concerns, Second Deputy Prime Minister Crispus Kiyonga said government would present a detailed statement to Parliament, promising clarity on the matter.
Kivumbi’s case stems from an ongoing terrorism trial in which he is jointly charged with 17 others over alleged attacks in Butambala district. Appearing before Justice Susan Okalany, Kivumbi—who had been on remand since January 2026—was granted bail of Shs 10 million, alongside several co-accused. However, six suspects were denied bail due to insufficient sureties.
As part of his bail conditions, Kivumbi was ordered to surrender his passport and barred from leaving the country without court approval.
The charges relate to alleged coordinated attacks on police stations and an Electoral Commission facility in Kibibi and Gombe between November 11 and 17, 2025. Prosecutors contend that the attacks were intended to intimidate the government and the public for political ends, leaving at least seven people dead.
Led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Racheal Bikhole, the prosecution maintains that Kivumbi and others still at large played a central role in planning and executing the attacks.
However, Kivumbi’s sudden disappearance following his release has shifted attention from the substance of the charges to concerns about adherence to legal procedures and the rights of accused persons, with opposition leaders warning that the lack of transparency risks undermining public confidence in the justice system.
