Today, the Uganda Police Force confirmed the arrest of Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the Member of Parliament for Butambala County and the National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President for the Buganda region. His arrest comes days after he reportedly lost his parliamentary seat to a candidate from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
In an official statement, police revealed that the legislator is being held in connection with recent post-election violence in Butambala, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of over 12 people at the hands of security operatives.
“The Uganda Police Force would like to confirm the arrest of the Butambala County legislator, Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi. He is currently in police custody and will be arraigned before the court in due course. His arrest is in connection with recent incidents of political violence in Butambala,” the police statement read.
Kivumbi’s detention follows the arrests of two other NUP Deputy Presidents: Jolly Tukamushaba (Western Uganda) and Lina Zedriga (Northern Uganda). These events echo the aftermath of the 2021 general elections when NUP legislators Allan Ssewanyana and the late Muhammad Ssegirinya were arrested and charged in relation to the Masaka machete killings, which claimed 28 lives.
Speaking from his country home in Rwakitura, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni addressed the situation in Butambala. He claimed to have received intelligence that certain opposition members were plotting large-scale violence.
“Some of our opposition members are wrong but not terrorists. However, some are both wrong and terrorists,” the President stated. “When Kivumbi was defeated, [his supporters] came with pangas (machetes) and tried to attack the polling station. Seven of them were shot dead there.
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