Ugandan opposition activist Eddie Mutwe, who the country’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, claimed to be holding captive, appeared in court displaying signs of torture and in a “visibly weak” condition, according to the justice minister.
Eddie Mutwe, the chief bodyguard for prominent opposition leader Bobi Wine, was reportedly seized by armed men near Kampala on April 27, according to Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
Chief of Defence Forces Kainerugaba, the son of long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, stated last week on social media platform X that he had detained Mutwe, boasting of capturing him “like a grasshopper” and using him as a “punching bag.”
Kainerugaba also alluded to the torture of Mutwe, mentioning that he had beaten him and shaved his head.
Justice Minister Norbert Mao, in a statement released on Monday, confirmed that Mutwe appeared in court “in a visibly weak condition and showing signs of having been tortured.” Mao, who leads an opposition party but holds a cabinet position, condemned the presentation of “illegally detained, brutalised and tortured suspects before the courts of law” as an abuse of judicial processes. While Mao did not explicitly name those responsible for Mutwe’s condition, he urged the courts to handle the case swiftly.
Mutwe’s lawyer, Magellan Kazibwe, told reporters outside the court on Monday that his client had been subjected to daily torture and electrocution during his detention.
The court appearance and allegations of torture come amidst an escalating crackdown on the Ugandan opposition as Bobi Wine prepares to launch a “protest vote” campaign ahead of the general election in January. Wine himself reported on Friday that security forces had raided and cordoned off his party’s headquarters. He also condemned Mutwe’s abduction, describing it to AFP news agency as “a reminder to the world as to how law and order has broken down in Uganda.”
The Ugandan government has faced international criticism 1 for the abduction of opposition figures. President Museveni, who has ruled since 1986 and intends to seek re-election, has denied allegations of human rights abuses. However, the Uganda Law Society has stated that Mutwe’s abduction is not an isolated incident but part of a “systematic campaign to silence dissent.” The Uganda Human Rights Commission had reportedly issued an order on Friday directing authorities to release Mutwe.
