Muwanga Kivumbi being led into court today under tight security
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The government has firmly maintained that the criminal charges facing opposition figure Muwanga Kivumbi stem from organised political violence, insisting the case is not about disputed custodial procedures but coordinated attacks on state institutions during an election period.
Through state prosecutors, authorities allege that between January 11 and 17, Kivumbi and several accomplices — some of whom remain at large — planned and executed a series of violent attacks targeting Kibibi Police Station, the Butambala Electoral Commission tally centre, sections of the Butambala–Gomba road and multiple vehicles. The state says the attacks resulted in at least seven deaths and posed a grave threat to public order and electoral integrity.
Prosecutors argue that the charges rank among the most serious ever brought against a mainstream opposition politician in an election-related dispute, reflecting what government describes as an escalation from political contestation to organised violence.
In court, the state emphasised that the focus of the prosecution is on events on the ground in Butambala, where security installations and electoral infrastructure were allegedly attacked in a coordinated manner, rather than claims surrounding how Kivumbi was handled in custody.
The defence, however, sought to shift attention to alleged abuses by security forces. Lawyers told court that while detained at Kira Police Station, Kivumbi agreed to record a statement in the presence of his lawyer, Asuman Basalirwa. The process reportedly collapsed after Kivumbi alleged that police and military personnel killed 10 people at his home during a security operation.
According to defence counsel, the officer recording the statement declined to proceed unless all references to the alleged killings were removed. “In effect, the statement was being dictated by a detective who was not present at the scene,” MP Medard Sseggona told court.
Kivumbi’s legal team — which includes Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Uganda Law Society Rapid Response lawyer Robert Jurua — questioned the impartiality of the current investigators and asked court to order the appointment of independent detectives. They also urged that investigations be widened to cover what they described as “cold-blooded killings” at Kivumbi’s residence, allegations the authorities have consistently rejected.
Today’s hearing drew significant political attention, with Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, Lewis Lubongoya and Francis Zake among several National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders present in court.
Authorities insist the case is grounded in national security concerns and due process, not political persecution. Kivumbi has denied the allegations, saying security forces raided his home during vote tallying and killed members of his campaign team.
The court is expected to formally take note of the charges and set timelines for bail applications and committal, as the case moves into a phase likely to test the judiciary’s handling of politically sensitive terrorism and election-related prosecutions.
