HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Political analyst Charles Rwomushana was quietly released on Sunday night, two days after armed security operatives dramatically removed him from a live radio programme in Kampala, leaving unanswered questions about who ordered his detention and why he was held.
Rwomushana confirmed his release to a Habari Daily reporter early Monday, but declined to disclose where he had been detained, which security agency held him or whether he had been questioned over any specific offence.
His release was also confirmed by Dick Nvule, host of Radio Simba’s Gasimbagane N’ebanamawulire programme, who said Rwomushana contacted him after regaining his freedom. Reports from Uganda Radio Network also confirmed that he had been released on Sunday night.
The circumstances surrounding both his arrest and release, however, remained shrouded in secrecy by Monday.
Rwomushana was seized on Saturday morning while appearing on Radio Simba’s popular political talk show at the station’s Bukoto studios. He had reportedly been on air for only a short time when armed men entered the studio and took him away.
An eyewitness who spoke to Habari Daily on condition of anonymity said about 10 armed men surrounded the station before making their way into the studio.
“They took him by the collar and pants and dragged him all the way to a waiting vehicle,” the witness said.
“He was yet to make any submissions on the programme. He had just greeted the listeners, then the arrest took place.”
Video footage from the incident showed several armed men, some in civilian clothes, surrounding Rwomushana before escorting him out of the station. Other reports identified some of the operatives as UPDF soldiers.
Radio Simba subsequently reported that security officers had taken Rwomushana away for questioning, but no security agency publicly explained the matter.
The arrest initially generated uncertainty over his whereabouts, with neither police nor the military immediately confirming where he had been taken. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke later said he had not received a briefing on the case.
Even after his release, Rwomushana appeared unwilling to discuss what happened during his detention.
He reportedly declined to tell the programme host where he had been held, his present whereabouts or whether authorities had presented him with any formal allegations.
The silence has intensified questions about the circumstances of his detention, particularly because of Rwomushana’s long history of involvement in Uganda’s political and security affairs.
A former intelligence operative who previously worked in the President’s Office, Rwomushana has become a prominent and often controversial political commentator. He has regularly appeared on radio and television programmes discussing government, security and political developments.
His latest detention also comes amid heightened political tensions and a series of reports involving arrests or disappearances of politically connected individuals.
Recent reports have linked Rwomushana to discussions surrounding the ongoing treason case involving opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and others, although no authority has publicly stated that his weekend detention was connected to that matter.
Rwomushana’s refusal to disclose details—and the continued absence of an official explanation from security agencies—means the mystery surrounding one of the most dramatic arrests at a Ugandan media house in recent years remains unresolved.
